Ninjago Apocalypse
by ninjagogirl luvs iceage21
Summary: On a warm summer day at the beginning of June in Ninjago, all is well until a certain band of zombie like monsters come out of nowhere. These people are blue from head to toe, with few or no blood streaks at all. The ninja all escape from the city, but they leave Nya behind as she was injured the day before. When she wakes up four days later, all of Ninjago is empty. Rated T
1. Introduction

NINJAGO APOCALYPSE

INTRODUCTION

THE BEGINNING

 **HOORAY! HI, GUYS. lovesgod12 HERE! I THOUGHT I WOUD WRITE THIS STORY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE HORROR AND SOME ACTION. TRUST ME, THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC.**

 **RATED T BECAUSE OF WEAPONS AND SOME VIOLENCE AND MAYBE A LITTLE BLOOD. I JUST THOUGHT A GOOD STORY WOULD BE GREAT. THERE IS NO CUSSING, THOUGH. I'M STRICT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, BUT I DON'T MIND READING IT FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES. JUST SAYING. I DON'T LIKE CUSSING IN MY STORIES.**

 **I DO NOT OWN NINJAGO.**

 **ENJOY.**

Surrounding the sea of sands is an empty road in which few cars ever drive on. Suddenly, a red convertible sped its way through the abandoned road. Behind it, a pair of blaring sirens from atop a police car flashed its way to the speeding convertible. Inside that certain red vehicle, a man with slick brown hair and wearing a brown ninja gi was driving with a pair of sunglasses on his face, even though it was the dead of night. This certain man was Dareth. He wasn't a very bright man and always thought of himself as a cool person. He decided that it would be hilarious to rob a bank. Right next to him in the passenger's seat were money bags that looked as though they contained at least a few thousand dollars. That's what he hoped the amount was. Unfortunately, someone from inside the bank called the police after he left and now they were after him. The only way to ditch the cops was to get out of the city.

He heard a noise from behind him. The cop from inside the police car had turned on his radio. "Sir, please pull over. You know why we want you."

"You won't be taking this money back," Dareth said, "So long, suckers!"

Dareth knew he had to ditch the cops. He suddenly remembered that there was a cliff just a few minutes away that led out of the sea of sands. He decided to make that jump if he were to ever escape with the money. Willing to risk his life to take a chance at becoming a millionaire, Dareth drove off the road and started driving in the sand, making a dust cloud so the police couldn't see him. Unfortunately, the police had followed his every move and continued to follow. They weren't giving up so easily.

"Sir, stop the vehicle immediately!" the cop screamed.

"Never!" Dareth yelled.

"We don't wanna have to use force, but you made us come to this point." The cop took out his tazer and shot it at the left back wheel of Dareth`s convertible. It didn't shoot any electric sparks through it. It made the tire go flat, though, but Dareth was still driving. The cops were starting to get furious. "Sir, if you don't pull over at once, I'm afraid we'll have to wreck you in order to make you stop."

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you try." Pushing on the gas pedal as hard as he could, Dareth sped up as fast as he could and saw that the engine caught on fire. "Oh, crud! My hood!"

Before Dareth could even try and stop, the convertible went over the cliff. The police car skidded to a halt as it came near the edge. Both the cops got out and saw the car blow up as it hit the ground. They both looked with terrifying eyes as they saw the car blow to smithereens. Before they knew it, they heard a voice from down the cliff. They saw Dareth with the money bags grasped tightly in his hands.

"He's still down there," the cop in blue said.

"How did he even survive that crash?" the cop wearing light tan said.

"I don't know, but he's alive and he's got the money." The cop walked up to the edge of the cliff. "Okay, you little money grubber, drop the bags and put your hands up."

"Sorry, boys," Dareth said, "These bags of dough are all mine."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strange man came out and bit down on Dareth`s arm. Screaming, Dareth dropped the money bags on the ground as the man continued biting his arm. The cop in blue pulled out his dart shooter that's originally used for animals and shot it at the man's forehead. He goes down in a wink. Continuing to scream, Dareth makes his way to the top of the cliff, but before he could make it, he falls down unconscious.

Both the cops looked at each other with horrified but confused expressions. The scene that they just witness was not your normal everyday play by play of the day.

"Should we go and help them?" the cop in blue asked.

"I'm not concerned about the robber," the cop in brown said, "I'm more concerned about the man that chomp down on his arm. It's like he thought the robber was lunch or something."

"Should we go down there and help him?"

"That's our duty, isn't it? Let's get a move on."

Before they could make it down the cliff, they started hearing a lot of groaning making its way from down the cliff. Soon people that were blue from head to toe, some with blood streaks on them, were wandering around the place. A few saw the police officers from up top and just like a zombie would do, it walked up to the walls of the cliff and started clawing at it. A few were climbing the ramp that led to the top. The cops started to back away.

"Should we call for backup?" the cop in blue asked.

"Not this time," said the cop in brown, "I think we should make a run for it."

The two cops ran back to their police car, seating themselves inside quickly as they tried to start it up. "Come on, come on." The cop in blue tried to start the car, but the engine wouldn't start. "Why isn't it working?"

"The motor must be broken down again," the cop in brown said, "We can't get out. We're stuck in here. Those things are coming right for us."

"The motor can't be broken down. Not at a time like this."

They were right not to get out, but the wanderers came up at the car, banging on it and punching the windows to get at the cops. They did all they could to keep away, but more and more just kept coming. Before a person could lay eyes on it, a whole herd of them came and piled on the police car, smashing and tearing at it as much as they could. This was just the beginning.

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 **GOOD, HUH. WARNING, THERE WILL BE BLOOD. AND SOME DRAMA. AND ROMANCE. MORE GENRES.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	2. A Normal Day

CHAPTER 1

A NORMAL DAY

 **NYA`S POV:**

The sound of birds tweeting filled the air as the morning sun woke up from its long slumber. It's bright rays sneaked its was into my room from the crack of my curtains. My alarm clock buzzed, warning me that it was seven in the morning. I didn't want to get up. I had a very peaceful dream last night. I dreamt that I was surrounded by the forest, hearing the songs that the creatures made and the flowing of the river. The leaves swayed gently as I sat upon a branch and stared out at the horizon, looking at the clouds moving slowly in the blue sky. Upon those clouds, dragons flew through the air, looking down at me. I saw my brother, boyfriend and good friends upon those flying immortal creatures, smiling as they always do. I never wanted that dream to end. Unfortunately, it did, but it ended with a very strange shadow. I opened my eyes in surprise and confusion. It was the middle of the night, but I chose to think of it as only a peaceful dream and fell back asleep a moment later. No other dreams were seen after that one.

My alarm clock kept buzzing and the sun was shining brighter than ever. I couldn't stand the light blinding my closed eyes and I hated hearing the obnoxious noise my alarm clock made. I eventually removed myself from bed and smacked my alarm clock, making the sound stop automatically. I walked up to my window and closed the crack in my curtain, getting rid of the sunlight that shone through my room. I walked into the bathroom and started brushing my short hair and brushing my stained free teeth. I walked into my bedroom and changed into my normal everyday clothes. Turning my radio to the news station, I started making my bed up as I heard the events going on throughout the day.

"In other news, two night shift police officers from the Ninjago City Police Station were reported missing this morning after they went out to chase down a robber that initially robbed the Ninjago City First National Bank a couple of hours before," the news anchor said, "The amount of money stolen was totaled up to be $75,000. The burglar`s name was Dareth Brown, age twenty. He is known as a runaway criminal but has also been reported missing. The two cops, Officer John Maine and Officer Bob Johnson went out to chase him down but have not returned yet. If you have any idea where these police officers may be, please contact the local authorities. If you have seen the runaway bank robber or you know who he is, please contact the authorities about him as well."

Dareth robbed a bank! What is the matter with him? When the ninja and I first met him, we all thought he was some weird guy who though he was the master of animal fighting styles. Of course he was lying, but if he was some no name in town, I figured that's why he faked everything. Of course, we did have to help him with money troubles in the past by saving his dojo and paying back all the overdue payments that he initially fell behind on. I suppose he had that problem again and decided to steal the money this time. Or maybe he just decided to do it for fun. I guess we'll never know why. I had just finished making my bed when there was yet another top story on the news.

"With more top breaking stories, three more individuals disappeared last night from Ninjago City," the news anchor said, "For the past week, we've been seeing a lot of disappearances lately, but we have no idea where these people are wandering off to. We will be keeping our eyes out, but if you do see anymore people trying to disappear all of a sudden, please contact the local authorities."

Looks like more and more individuals are disappearing from the city everyday. It's been going on like that for the past week. On Monday, it was seven people. Tuesday, it was nine. I could keep going, but I lost count after Tuesday. It didn't matter to me, though. It's probably just a coincidence. I turned off my radio and left the comfort of my bedroom. I would give anything just to stay in there for hours and hours. That was never gonna happen, though. I was too busy. Much too busy. I had a lot of stuff on my plate. I had to start putting more upgrades in my samurai suit. The ultrasonic radar needed a few kinks fixed inside of it. Plus, I was about to have a great night.

Jay`s taking me out to this really nice restaurant in Ninjago Square. I didn't know the name of it, which Jay was purposely trying to surprise me, but I was really excited about it. Nothing says spending the night with the man of your dreams by taking his beautiful girl to one of the greatest restaurants in Ninjago. I was just about to tap dance in my shoes and jump for joy. I was going to have the best night of my life.

I couldn't start my day without breakfast, though. I made my way into the kitchen, seeing Zane over at the stove cooking our daily meal. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Technically, it's the first meal of the day. It was the only meal where sugar was added in ingredients. I usually have a crazy obsession for sugar. I've never been able to control it. Sitting at the table, I looked to see my brother Kai looking at a magazine. His brown eyes looked at me as I sat down.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," Kai said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than usual," I said, pouring myself a cup of tea, "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Nothing much. It doesn't seem anything's happening today. Hey, have you heard anything from Dareth?"

"I haven't heard anything from him. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. He wasn't at his dojo yesterday. I'm gonna go back today to see where he is."

Jay walked in, looking at me with lovely eyes. "Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well last night?"

"I slept well, thank you for asking," I said, "How about you?"

"Wonderful, as always. So, what are you doing today?"

"Nothing much. Just need to put some upgrades in my samurai suit and fix a few kinks in the ultrasonic radar. Other than that, nothing else. Except that I need to prepare for our date tonight."

"I haven't forgotten about that. Let me assure you that I will make absolutely sure that nothing happens while we are together. Tonight will be the greatest one you'll ever have."

"So, where are we going?"

"I can't tell you that. I would spoil everything if I did."

"Oh, come on. I'm tired of waiting. Just tell me."

"Don't you like surprises, Nya?"

"I do, but-"

"Then it's settled. I'm making sure my surprise stays a surprise."

"Making sure what stays a surprise?" Cole asked, walking into the kitchen.

"The date Jay has planned that I can't wait another minute to know what it is and where it's at," I said.

"Well, a secret is a secret. Don't ask me about it, though. I didn't even know you two were going out." Cole walked over to Zane, staring at what he was cooking. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"The only way you will find out is if you wait patiently," Zane said.

"Alright, then," Cole said, "If you need me, I'll be sitting here."

"Nobody will need you," Kai said rudely.

"Thanks for ruining the moment, Kai."

"That's one of the things I'm good at."

"What about you, Zane?" I asked, changing the subject, "Got anything planned for today?"

"Nothing much, I don't suppose," Zane said, "I just remembered that Pixal and I have a date tonight."

"Aww! Well, I hope you two have fun." Picking up a muffin, I left the boys to do their own thing.

I went into the control room and started working on my samurai suit. Upgrades were gonna need to be installed in it sooner or later. I turned on the radio because I usually concentrate better when I'm listening to some good music. As I was just finishing up with the first couple of upgrades, I heard a breaking news report come up right in the middle of my favorite love song. Seeing that it might be important, I stopped working to see what was going on.

"We interrupt this program to bring in some breaking news," the news anchor said, "One of the night shift police officers that was reported missing last night has been confined in the hospital. Officer Bob Johnson returned to Ninjago City Police Station this morning with a sprained arm and a possible back injury. We were not able to question him as he passed out the minute he returned from the station. Officer Johnson is now at Ninjago City Hospital and we just heard that he is no longer in emergency care. Unfortunately, he was still unconscious so we have not been able to speak with him. Once we do, we'll let you know. That's all for now."

I don't believe it. Just a couple of hours ago, that cop was notified as missing. Now he suddenly returned out of nowhere and that's all people had to say. What about that other officer? Why wasn't he in the police car on the way to the station? Did something bad happen? They never told us about that officer. What about Dareth? Did they catch him? I'm not very sure I wanted him to be thrown in prison, but for the sake of the Great Sensei, he robbed a bank. What else were they suppose to do with him? I decided to push those thoughts out of my head and continued to place upgrades in my samurai suit.

I just couldn't concentrate, though. Why can't I? Is it because of the music? I went over to the radio and shut it off. I'm listening to a lot of breaking news reports. I guess I'm just in the habit of that. I have to listen in order to figure out if there's danger in the city. By the time I went back to continue working, the alarms went off. I don't get it. Who sounded the alarm? Dropping the tools out of my hand, I ran to headquarters. Looks like action has decided to drop in on us.

* * *

 **THIS MUST BE GOOD. IT HAS TO BE GOOD. I WROTE IT, SO IT NEEDS TO BE.**

 **FOR THE MOST OF IT, NYA WILL BE NARRATING ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE STORY. THE OTHER THIRTY PERCENT WILL GO TO THE OTHERS. I'VE DECIDED TO LET NYA BE IN CONTROL OF THIS. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT IS A BIG FAN OF HERS, I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY READING THIS.**

 **SORRY FOR NOT POSTING SOONER. I'VE BEEN A BIT TIRED. GOT A LOT OF HOMEWORK AND STUFF. I HAVE TO GET READY FOR THE PSAT ON PRAY FOR ME AND SEE THAT I DO WELL. WE WERE OUT OF SCHOOL TODAY, BUT IT WAS STILL CONSIDERED A REGULAR SCHOOL DAY, BUT WE HAD TO DO OUR WORK ELECTRONICALLY. I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT IS. IT'S OUR DAY OFF. THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO US. OH, WAIT, THEY ALREADY DID.**

 **I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	3. Fighting Off Bank Villains

CHAPTER 2

FIGHTING OFF BANK VILLAINS

 **NYA`S POV:**

The alarms were just buzzing off the walls. What could of triggered them? Did we still have them set in certain parts of the city? Whatever it is, it doesn't seem good and its time to do something about it as usual. I ran into headquarters and turned off the alarm, looking to see that there was a robbery at the bank. The ninja ran in just in time to see the alarms go off and I was still on the computer. They were probably going to ask what the problem was, so I placed a hand up to say that I already figured it out and I would tell them right then and there.

"There's a robbery at the Ninjago City National Bank," I said.

"Again?" Cole asked, "That's the third robbery this month."

"Actually, this is the fourth time this month," Zane said, "It was robbed last night. Someone initially stole three quarters of almost a million dollars."

"Can somebody tell me what Zane just said?" Jay asked.

"Somebody stole $75,000 last night," I said, "I heard about it on the news. That doesn't matter right now. We need to get to the city and stop those robbers."

"Already on it, sis," Kai said.

The ninja spinjitzu out of headquarters and made their way to our so called garage. I ran back into the control room and placed myself in my Samurai X suit. I'm hoping it still works well without the other upgrades. Turning it on, I opened up the ceiling and flew out of the house. It seems to be flying well so I'm sure nothing will happen. I've always enjoyed being up in the air. It would be better to sit atop a dragon and watch the view, but I suppose a machine will have to do. I looked down to see the entire city, locating the bank on the GPS system that I installed a few weeks ago. I instructed the ninja to land and so they did. I had only arrived about a few moments later and it seemed the entire city was filled with chaos.

Police cars were lined up around the bank. Fire trucks were inside and out, carrying people out of the bank. Ambulances were lined up and parked in certain places as they carried people out of the building on stretchers. Whoever robbed the bank must have been prepared to not let anyone call the cops on them. It looks as though they must have left because the police didn't seem to carry any criminals out of the place. I removed myself from inside my samurai suit and ran towards one of the police officers. The ninja followed behind me.

"What's going on here?" I asked, "What happened?"

"Oh, the ninja," said the officer, "Thank goodness your here. You're too late to stop the robbers. They just ran off the moment we arrived and nobody made a call until five minutes ago. Good thing the ninja alarms are still inside the bank or you guys wouldn't be here right now. Whoever these robbers are, they're pretty tricky. They did whatever they could to knock some people down and then intoxicated the bank counters with some kind of knock out gas. Everyone that worked in the bank passed out before they left. Good thing you guys are here. We're gonna need some backup."

"What about those robbers?" Kai asked, "We can't just let them run around in the city."

"Okay, guys, here's the plan," Cole said, "Zane and I will stay here and help out the people that are still trapped in the bank. You guys go out and find those robbers before they escape the city."

"What about me?" I asked.

"Go with Kai and Jay. They might need some backup."

"Can do." I ran back to my Samurai X suit and started making my way back into the air. Kai and Jay made their way to the ultrasonic radar. I should've never let them take that. I didn't even have a chance to put in the upgrades. I've said it plenty of times before. Boys never listen to me.

If boys never listen to me, then why should I listen to boys? They say I should go with Kai and Jay. Oh, please. Cole only did that because he knew that the both of them could protect me. It's not because neither of them needed backup. When did they ever ask me for backup before? Sure, Jay has asked a few times and I was always there to help, but has Kai ever asked? The answer to that question was a big and very loud no. Straight to my face. Kai thinks that he can handle things himself, but to be honest, he's just plain stupid. You should never be too shy to ask.

My GPS system located that the robbers were now in the middle of stealing from Green Street First National Bank. Seriously? Another bank? How many of them are there in this city? I told Kai and Jay to stop there and started making my way down there myself. Once I got there, Kai and Jay were already heading towards the front entrance of the bank. I removed myself from my samurai suit and starting running up the stairs. Gosh, it seems that every bank I go to, there always seem to be a set of stairs that lead to the pair of double doors. Almost out of breath, I made my way inside the bank, seeing that people were lowered on the ground. I saw Kai trying to lead a mother with her two children out of the building. Jay was doing the same, except he was leading a mother with a baby stroller rolling out the emergency exit. My brother and boyfriend were leading people out, but where we're the robbers? Only one way to find out. I made my way inside one of the offices of the bank, seeing that most of the employees were lowered on the floor. I looked just straight ahead to see one of the robbers staring straight at me. He dropped the bag that was in his hand and stood just ten feet away from me, preparing himself in a fighting stance. I did the same thing, only I was fully dressed in a suit of armor.

"Do you even have a thought in you mind of what I do to you if you take me on?" the robber asked.

"I'll take you on anytime," I said.

"Oh, it looks like I'm fighting a girl. This should be an easy battle."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you."

I ran up and kicked him full in the face, knocking him face first into the floor. He got up, wiping a line of red from his lips, staring straight at me with shocking gray eyes. "It's on now, little girl."

"What did you just call me?" I punched him straight in the gut, smashing him into the wall. I gave him a little smirk. "Nobody calls me a little girl. I guess you realize that I'm not so easy to defeat."

"Trust me, Nya, I know all your weaknesses."

"How do you know my name?"

I got distracted as I waited for an answer. Before I could blink, he vanished automatically. I didn't notice he was behind me and I was kicked pretty hard in the back. Okay, I'm pretty sure my spine will never recover. I was still standing, which meant that no permanent damage was done. The fight wasn't over, though. Just when I got up, the robber ran as fast as lightning and spin kicked me in the side, knocking me against the desk and breaking everything that was on it. Okay, I definitely earned a few cuts and bruises doing that. I wasn't giving up too easily. It was time to use some explosive weapons. I activated the explosive device on the arm blower and shouted at the employees to get out of the building. Doing so, I wait a few second and right when the robber started running up towards me, I shot the device and exploded the entire office. Luckily, there was no fire, but I did manage to get knocked out of the office section of the bank and into the lobby. Good thing everybody got out. Kai and Jay made their way over towards me.

"Nya, are you okay?" Jay asked, worried.

"Don't worry, I'm good," I said.

"What are you doing in there?" Kai asked.

"Trying to stop the robbers," I told my brother, "I was able to learn a couple of their moves. Well, actually, I was only fighting one, but just listen. I saw that they're fast as lightning and they can disappear and reappear from one place to another. These are some crazy robbers we don't wanna mess with."

"I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but I think those robbers just survived that explosion," Jay said.

I wasn't sure if I believed him or not, but it was true. Those robbers walked out of the office alive without a scratch on them. It seemed as though they were immune or something. The one I was fighting looked me in the eyes once again. "There's no way you can defeat us. You might as well Just let us go."

"Sorry, but we can't let that happen," Kai said, "Fire!" Flames were shooting out from Kai`s palms as he tried to stop the robbers from getting away. They suddenly disappeared the second before a flame even hit them. Kai`s expression became horrifying. "Where did they go?"

At that exact moment, Kai was punched in the face, flying through the air and slamming against the wall. I bet that left a big old bruise. Somehow, Jay was able to swing kick one of the robbers and made them land in a nearby garbage can. I shot his a romantic look, but I saw that it only distracted him. The robber I attacked before kicked him right in the bottom, sending him down. Jay looked up once he recovered from his little bruise.

"We don't know how to fight these things if we have no clue of how we can defeat them," Jay said.

I looked at the robber, who squinted his cold gray eyes in anger. No more playing around. It's time to get serious around here. I ran up to punch him, but he dodged and went right behind me. He took out a shield and threw it like a frisbee. It smacked my helmet and made it fly off my head. I was glad for my head to still be attached to my body. I was making my way towards my opponent but I wasn't paying enough attention to see that a flying disc had knocked me on the head. It was hard enough to make me pass out. So I did. The last thing I heard were sirens coming from outside and my brother and boyfriend's voices. Once I blacked out, I started to dream of a dream that almost looked to be real.

* * *

 **HEY, GUYS, ITS ME AGAIN. I GOT BORED ALL OF A SUDDEN, SO I DECIDED TO WRITE YOU THIS CHAPTER. IT WAS WORTH IT.**

 **I AM STUDYING HADR FOR THIS PSAT. ALTHOUGH, I WOULDN'T CALL IT STUDYING AS I'M PRACTICING BEFORE WEDNESDAY, BUT I'M A JUNIOR AND I HAVE TO TAKE CERTAIN THINGS SERIOUSLY. I'M DOING ALL I CAN JUST TO MAKE A HIGH SCORE. I COULD BE OFFERED A SCHOLARSHIP IF I DO. PLUS, I NEED TO FINISH THE JUNGLE FOR MY HISTORY CLASS AND I'M SO FAR BEHIND. I'M ALWAYS USED TO READING ONLY ONE CHAPTER A DAY. ONCE THIS TEST IS OVER WITH, I'LL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO READ TWO.**

 **WELL, I SUPPOSE YOUR TIRED OF ME TALKING RIGHT NOW, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF I LEFT RIGHT NOW. ENJOY THE CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	4. Alone in the City

CHAPTER 3

ALONE IN THE CITY

 **NYA`S POV:**

I wasn't very sure how long I was out. The last thing I remembered was hearing voices and sirens. It felt like a few minutes later that I heard noises and the sound of people talking. I was too afraid to open my eyes. I wasn't very sure what would happen if I did. It felt as though I was only out a couple of hours later and I heard the sound of two familiar voices. I refused to open my eyes. I didn't move a muscle. How could I? It felt as though my arms were glued to the bed I was laying on. Where was I, anyway? Where was I taken to? The sound of talking continued and I finally figured out who it was. It was Kai and Jay. I knew those two would never leave my side. I never heard Cole or Zane`s voices. I didn't even hear Pixal or Lloyd. Nobody else but those two. At least I knew they were still here and I had the both of them.

"How long do we have to wait for her to wake up?" I heard Jay asked.

"The doctor said she was just unconscious, but it could still take some time for her to wake up," Kai told him.

"It's been three days, Kai. Three days. Nobody stays unconscious for that long. I've been keeping my feet in this room for three long days just to wait for her to look me in the eyes and see that I'm still here. I keep my heart open to the Great Sensei and ask over and over to let Nya stay here with us for the longest of times. I'm not moving from this hospital until she's awake. I love her too much to leave her side."

"Well, I'm not letting you starve to death while your up here. I'm gonna go get you something from the cafeteria."

I didn't hear Kai`s voice after that, but I did hear the sound of footsteps approaching the bed. It had to be Jay. Who else would be inside the room other than a nurse? His placed his hand on my forehead. I could only feel a little bit of it since there was a bandage wrapped around my head, but I knew his hand was there. I could also hear him sigh.

"I'm really worried about you, Nya," Jay said, "I'm glad your brother just left. There are some things that I've been meaning to tell you. I'm not sure it would be best to tell Kai just yet. Right now you're everything to me. I never wanna let you go. I know we missed our date. It was a shame, but you recovering is more important. Things just happen naturally. We can't change what happens. I was gonna take you to Mui Tulus. It's your favorite sushi restaurant in Ninjago Square. That's where I was gonna bring you my ultimate surprise. I might as well just tell you now. You can't even hear me. That night would've brought a lot of good things from the future. It would make our love grow stronger. On that very night, I was gonna-"

"Jay!" I heard Kai scream. He opened the door and smacked it to the wall. "We need to get out of here."

"What's going on?" Jay asked.

"There's no time to explain. We need to go."

"What about Nya? I can't just leave her here."

"We'll come back for Nya. I promise. We need to go right now. Borg`s calling a major evacuation."

"Wouldn't that call for the time to get everyone out of the hospital?"

"There's no time. Come on."

"We can't just leave Nya here."

"I don't wanna leave her here, either, but right now we don't have a choice. We're the ninja. The people need us."

"Nya`s a person, too. I'm not leaving her."

"You don't have a choice. Let's go!"

"No! Stop! Nya! Nya!"

That was the last I heard of his voice. All I remembered was that long speech that he made before Kai barged in. He was about to tell me something. Something important. He said it would make our love grow stronger. He was even gonna take me out to my favorite restaurant and tell me that. I would've had my eyes open and my head wouldn't be wrapped up. It would've been a normal night. Just the two of us. I should've opened my eyes at that moment. I should've let him hug me and kiss me upon my lips and tell me that things would be alright. His sweet voice would keep me calm and help keep the bad guys away. Now he wasn't here. He was gone and I never got a chance to hear what he had to say.

It felt like only a few minutes later that I woke up. My eyes finally opened. I could see the sun gleaming from the window. I tried to sit up, but it was too hard. The room was empty. I didn't see Kai. I didn't see Jay. Nobody was there. I needed help and nobody was there. I was just ready to do what I could and help myself. I removed the blanket that surrounded me and did my best to start sliding my feet from off the bed. It took a moment or two, but my arms were finally able to help me into a sitting position. I sat there for a little bit. I looked to see that my watch was on the drawer next to the bed. I picked it up and looked to see that it was five minutes passed nine. Well, I suppose it was best to start walking around a little bit. Then I remembered something. It was the quick conversation that I heard Kai and Jay having before Kai had to finally force Jay to start moving away from the room. Borg was calling a major evacuation for the city. What was going on? It may have been some evil ruler trying to take over Ninjago and everybody stopped it. Then I got to thinking. If the ninja had stopped it, why are they not here? Are they still out battling? I didn't hear anything outside. Actually, I didn't hear anything outside. No cars or airplanes. Nothing. Not a peep. I went over to the window. I didn't see a car driving down the road. I didn't even see a person walking down the sidewalk. Did something happen while I was out? Only one way to find out.

I went over to the wardrobe closet and found the clothes I was wearing the day of the accident. I also saw a bag sitting on the floor of the closet. Someone must have brought it from home. I stuff the clothes in there and zipped up the bag. Before I left, I say a rose and a note. I picked it up and saw that it was from Jay. I opened the note and read it.

 _To my dearest Nya,_

 _I feel terrible about what happened that day and right before our date. That doesn't matter, though. I care more about you than anything else, no matter how hard I worked on it. I love you with all my heart._

 _Love, your one and only Jay_

I almost cried. He wrote this for me. I knew what it meant. No matter how hard he worked on something, I would always be more important. I placed it inside the bag and zipped it up tight. I tried opening the door, but I couldn't get it opened. It wasn't even closed all the way, but something was blocking it. I started pushing it and finally the door came through. It was a hospital bed that was blocking the way. I walked out of the room and noticed something. Where were all the doctors and nurses? Weren't there patients here? What happened to everybody? I had a feeling that I should leave the hospital right away. That's exactly what I did. I found the stairs and immediately found the exit out of this place. My head was spinning a little bit, but I would find my way back home and see that everybody was safe. Little did I know that I was wrong.

I didn't see a living soul outside. The roads were covered in cars. There weren't any people out walking around. I don't get it. The roads and sidewalks should be busy. Traffic should be getting backed up by the morning traffic jam and people should be out walking around doing their daily routines and all that. Nobody was out. Did something happen that forced everyone to stay inside? I was starting to become scared. I had no one to help me and when I'm this scared, I need to be held. I looked at my watch to see that it was fifteen minutes until ten. Last I checked it was five past nine and in that amount of time, I made it home. I was hoping everyone was inside talking and having a nice cup of tea.

When I opened the door, it was unlocked. That's strange. The guys never leave the door unlocked. Especially the front door. Something must be wrong. I went inside the house and saw the entire place trashed. Broken glass was everywhere. Pictures were scattered all over the place. Books and shelves had collapsed. Nothing was left on the walls. Not even the poem that Jay wrote to make people feel at home. It was my favorite one. I remember every word. I didn't see anyone there. Was there a robbery? Were the ninja kidnapped? My head was spinning with thoughts. That's when I saw a lump in the floor with a blanket over it.

Being the curious girl I was, I removed the blanket from off the lump. That's when I realized that I shouldn't have done so. I saw man lying on the floor. It didn't look like he was dead, but he was sleeping. I saw a few blood streaks on his face. It was sickening. He was blue from head to toe. It's like someone left him out to freeze to death in the cold. I couldn't stare at him any longer. I was about to puke if I didn't place that blanket back on him. I threw it back over his face and ran outside. I couldn't bear to be in that house before.

I fell to my knees on the ground and started crying. Everything I once knew was gone. My friends. My family. People I knew and everything else. They were gone. I was left alone. Nobody was here for me. I didn't have Sensei Wu for guidance. I didn't have Kai to hold as scary thoughts came through my head. I didn't even have Jay to comfort me with his words and maybe even tell a few jokes to make the pain go away. They weren't here. They were gone. Disappeared into thin air. I was all alone.

"I'm the only person left in Ninjago," I said, tears still streaming down my eyes. Even though my eyes were blurred with tears, I saw someone walking down the street, noticing that I was there. I stood up and waved my hand around. "It's okay. I'm fine. I just need help." Right when I said that, I fell to the ground.

The heat was too much for my aching head. I was dizzy and exhausted. I was thirsty as well, but I was so dizzy that I couldn't keep from growing unconscious once more. So I did. I let my eyes closed, even though I didn't want to close them. The last thing I heard was the man that was planning to help me and I felt his arms pick me up and make his way to who knows where.

* * *

 **WAS THIS GOOD OR WAS THIS GOOD?**

 **LOOKS LIKE SCHOOL IS STARTING BACK TOMORROW FOR ME. I ENJOYED MY THREE DAY WEEKEND, BUT NOW I MUST RETURN TO THE HORRIFYING PLACE THEY CALL SCHOOL. I'LL MAKE SURE TO WORK ON STORIES ALONG THE WAY.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS GREAT. THINGS ARE STARTING TO GET REALLY SUSPICIOUS NOW.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	5. A Friendly Little Family

CHAPTER 4

A FRIENDLY LITTLE FAMILY

 **NYA`S POV:**

I was hoping everything was a dream. I'm hoping that I'm back in the hospital and my friends are surrounding me, hugging and saying that they were worried about me while I was unconscious and they were hoping that the Great Sensei would help me wake up. It would just fill my heart with plenty of happiness. It just proves how much they care about me. Unfortunately, I was not in the hospital. My friends weren't surrounding me. I woke up to an empty room and walked out of it on my own without any help. I walked around the city, seeing that the streets were empty. The sidewalks were empty. The cars were standing still. People had disappeared off the face of the earth. I was alone. The last thing I remembered was walking inside my home and seeing a man lying on the floor covered up with a blanket, blue from head to toe and had blood streaks on his face. I ran outside and started crying. I suddenly heard footsteps coming towards the lawn and I passed out before I could hear the man. Please let this be a dream. Let it all be a dream.

It wasn't. Not a single bit of it. My head was throbbing dramatically and I was so tired I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt myself waking up to a voice that sounded like a little girl. "Excuse me, ma'am, are you okay? Your eyes are fluttering. Are you waking up?" How odd of her to say that as to seeing that I was indeed waking up. Hearing her question, I opened my eyes, wishing a second later that I shouldn't have done so. A bright light flashed upon my eyes and I kept squinting to make sure it would go away. The little girl tapped me on the shoulder. I turned my head to look into her little blue eyes. "I didn't mean to turn on the lamp. My mama closed the curtains and I don't like the dark. Especially in the way that Ninjago City is now." I looked at her closely. Her hair was a sun shining golden blonde with spots of freckles that laid upon her cheeks as though they were sprinkled with cinnamon. She was wearing a cute purple blouse with a pink skirt. She wasn't wearing a pair of shoes, so her feet looked as though they were cold upon the hardwood floor. She didn't seem to mind, though. Her smile told me everything about her. "What happened to your forehead?"

"Emma, you should've came and told me that our guest was awake," said a woman that entered the room. The woman looked to be about in her mid thirties. Her hair was blonde like the little girl Emma's is, but it wasn't very sun shining gold. Her hair was actually pulled up in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were emerald green as though they were shining inside a mine. She was wearing a blue sweater and a pair of jeans. Her feet were covered up with purple flats. This must be Emma's mother. She walked up next to the bed. "Emma loves to do favors for us so we let her watch over you and to tell us when you woke up. I hope she didn't question you too much. She does that with a lot of our guest."

"That's alright," I said, my voice a bit hoarse, "She's just like every other little girl out there. Sweet and adorable."

"How are you feeling, darling?"

"My head hurts pretty bad, but other than that, I'm alright."

"I'm glad to hear that. You're lucky to still be alive. My husband told me that he saw you passed out in front of a large house a few minutes away from where we live."

"What do you mean that I'm lucky to be alive?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. My husband said he would explain everything to you once he got home. He and my son just left a few minutes ago to find some food. They'll be back soon. Today is day two of when those things will stay down."

"Things? What things?"

"Nothing, darling. Would you like me to get you some tea? I'm sure you must be very thirsty."

"My mama makes the best tea," Emma said.

"No, thank you," I said, "I'll be fine. By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Juliet," she said, "May I ask what your name is?"

"I'm Nya. Nya Smith."

"Hello, Miss Nya," Emma said, "My name is Emma Lunner."

"She already knows your name, darling" Juliet said, turning her attention to Nya, "We'll try to make you as comfortable as we can. It's not a very big house, but it'll do. Which reminds me that I need to start boiling some water for dinner. Emma, do you mind keeping Nya company?"

"Yes, mama," Emma said, pulling up a chair next to the bed, "I'll be talking to Miss Nya if you need me."

"Thank you, sweetie." Juliet left the room, leaving Emma and I alone.

Lying in the bed, I looked around the room. The walls were a shade of white while the corners of the room were coated with brown. I looked up at the ceiling, seeing a fan that wasn't turned on. The light wasn't on, either. The only brightness was a cordless lamp that sat on a nightstand next to the bed. Things just felt so weird to me. Something was going on in Ninjago and I was unaware of it. Seeing the smile on Emma's face, it looked as though she wasn't too worried about things. Why would she? Little children don't really know what's going on, but they're just told by their parents to do what they say when certain things happen. All I could see was happiness in Emma's eyes. Not a speck of fear was shown on that sweet little face. I saw that she was looking at a flower pot full of bush daisies. I didn't know they were sitting on that dresser in the left corner near the bed until now. I was curious to see why she was staring at them.

"What kind of flowers are those?" I asked.

"Those are bush daisies," Emma said, "I grew them at school when April started. Did you know that spring time starts in March but the flowers grow in April? It rains a lot in April. A lot of the girls wanted to grow roses and sunflowers. I'm different, though. I like bush daisies because their the color of the sun. Plus, my hair looks almost exactly like the color because the daisies are golden yellow. Yellow is my favorite color. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. It's blue. It's the color of water and I love to be surrounded by it."

"I like the water, too. My mama said she was gonna sign me up for swimming classes, but I don't think that's ever gonna happen."

"Why not?"

"Because of all the scary things that have been happening. When my daddy said that bad things were happening, I cried because I was scared. My mama told me to look at the flowers because she says that they make the monsters go away and they bring a lot of joy."

"That's true."

"You never did tell me why you have that big bandage on your forehead. What happened?"

"I was fighting off some bank robbers and I got hit in the head with a disc. I was out for a few days and when I finally opened my eyes, everyone disappeared. I didn't see anyone inside the hospital or outside in the city. It all seemed so strange. Emma, can I ask you a question?" Emma nodded. "What happened to everyone? Where did they all go? Do you know?"

"My mama told me not to tell you. She said that my daddy would tell you everything when he got back home. I hope he comes home. I hope my brother comes home, too. Do you have a brother?"

"I do, but I don't know where he is. At this point, I'm really worried about him."

"Do you have a mama and daddy like me?"

"I used to, but not anymore. I didn't really remember my mother. My father passed away when I was fourteen. So you could say that their both with the Great Sensei now."

"I have a grandfather that's with the Great Sensei. My mama told me that he was a really great person and that he did a lot of nice things for people. She said that his heart was always opened to the Great Sensei. Have you ever read the book of the master?"

"Plenty of times."

"There are a lot of great moral stories in the book. My favorite is the sheep and the four men when the baby sheep lost his mother while the farmer was taking them out west. He was lost and didn't know what to do. There were four different men. The first man was an emperor from a far away island off the coast of Ninjago. The baby sheep asked for his help, but the emperor said that he was in a rush and hurried on his way. A second man came and he was a noble from the capital city. The baby sheep asked for help, but the noble said that he didn't have time to help poor baby animals like him and continued on forward. A third man came and this one was a councilman from the temple. He asked the man to if he could help him find his mama, but the councilman said that he needed to hurry to the capital city in order to get to the temple in time and made his horse continue walking on the path. The baby sheep almost lost hope until a village leader from a nearby farming village walked by with his cow. The baby sheep asked the village leader if he could help him find his mama and he said to follow him. The sheep followed the man and continued traveling west until the baby sheep reunites with his mama. Some say that the poorest leader is always the kindest and the richest leader is always the greediest. I love that story from the book. I always thought it warmed my heart. What's your favorite story in the book?"

"Emma, your father's home," Juliet said, walking inside the room.

Emma gasped with joy. "Daddy's finally home!"

Juliet watched her daughter run out of the room. She walked up to the bed and held her hand out. "Would you like to meet my son and husband?"

"Yes," I said, "I would love to."

She helped me out of bed. It took a few moments, though. I had got up and felt my head spinning a little bit so I sat back down. A moment or two later she helped me up again and I finally had enough strength to place my feet on the floor and walk down the hallway. It was a very lovely home, but I just don't feel right being here. Why did I feel so... weird being here? Little did I know that things were about to get scary and there weren't any flowers around to scare the monsters away.

* * *

 **AWWWWWWWWW! ISN'T THAT SWEET? A LITTLE GIRL IS COMFORTING NYA. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS LITTLE FAMILY. NYA JUST DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO REGAIN HER THOUGHTS. MAYBE HER HEAD STILL HURTS? YEP. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S WRONG.**

 **SORRY I DIDN'T POST YESTERDAY. I HAD TO PREPARE FOR THE PSAT AND I FINALLY TOOK IT TODAY. HALLELUJAH! I JUST HOPE I DID WELL ON IT. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AND SAY THAT I DID WELL. I MUST DO WELL. I HAVE TO DO WELL. I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO POST MY NEXT UPDATE FOR THE ADVENTURES OF LLOYD GARMADON HOLIDAY EDITION UNTIL THIS WEEKEND. I'M STILL HAVING TO READ THE JUNGLE AND THE DEADLINE IS SOON SO I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WARMED YOUR HEART A BIT.**

 **OH, AND IF YOUR WONDERING ABOUT THE BOOK OF THE MASTERS, THAT'S JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE OF NINJAGO READ. THE GREAT SENSEI IS THEIR GOD. I JUST THOUGHT I COULD MAKE A RELIGION FOR THEM. PLEASE DON'T BE MAD THAT I DID.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	6. An Apocalypse Only in Ninjago?

CHAPTER 5

AN APOCALYPSE... ONLY IN NINJAGO?

I rose out of the bed with some help from Juliet. I walked down the long hallway that led to the living room. It looked like a place anyone would want to spend their day at. A long mahogany couch sat against the wall with a family portrait hanging above it. A lightless lamp sat upon a table next to the couch. A coffee table was placed in the midst of the room and in front of the couch sat a flat screen television. Right next to the lamp was an old fashioned bookcase. Sitting a few feet away from the bookcase was a very comfortable lava red chair that Juliet helped me into. She walked behind the chair and brought over her husband a second later.

"Nya, I'd like for you to meet my husband John," Juliet said.

"Hello there," I greeted.

"Hello, Nya," John said in a kind voice. John seemed to be a middle aged man who looked as though he hasn't had a break in the last twenty years. Crows feet and bags were shown around his blue eyes. Now I know where Emma's eye color comes from. John's hair was a light brown color that looked as though it was about to go gray in the next few years. Looking more like a business man that would wear a suit and tie, he was wearing a white shirt covered in oil stains and a pair of jeans that were ripped from the knees. John seemed to have worked away his days, but that's not a bad thing. It proves just how hard being a family man is. "It's nice to see you awake."

"I'm glad for the same reason. By the way, I'd like to thank you for letting me stay around your wonderful hospitality."

"What did she say?" Emma asked.

"She's thanking us for letting her stay in our home," Juliet said.

"She doesn't understand what the lady's saying, Mom," a little boy said, standing next to the door, "She never understands."

"Nathan, be polite," John said sternly.

"Sorry."

"Honey, what should we cook for dinner?" Juliet asked her husband.

"Oh, yes," John said, making his way into the kitchen, "Come on, honey."

"I'll keep Miss Nya company while your in the kitchen," Emma said, "I'm not sure Nathan is gonna do anything."

"Why should I?" Nathan asked sternly, "I'm not sure why anyone would wanna keep a stranger company in our home." Nathan was almost an imitation of his father, only his hair was a little bit darker and his eyes were green like his mother. He was wearing an orange tank top shirt and some jeans that looked as though the legs of them needed to be sewn up pretty badly. He was wearing a pair of brown shoes but had took them off once he flopped on the couch. Not a bit of a smile shown upon his face. "We don't know who she is. Dad made a mistake bringing her here." He turned his attention towards me. "I never meant to say all that, but I just can't trust anyone right now."

"Nathan hasn't been very nice ever since the monsters starting scaring everyone in Ninjago," Emma said.

"They're not monsters, stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid, you big dummy."

"Kids, behave yourselves," John called from the kitchen.

"You are being rude to your sister," I said.

"What does it matter to you?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing. I know what it's like being a little sister. Or in your case, I know what it's like to have one."

"I haven't been nice ever since this whole thing started. I've heard of people that had to change their behavior ways because they were in the middle of life threatening situations. If those are the things that they had to go through, then I guess I'll be the same way."

"Even though I'm just a normal girl in a weak state that has no idea of what's going on, you still don't trust me?"

"Not one bit. It doesn't matter who you are or what you're going through at that moment in time, I'll just walk away and I won't have a thought about you."

"You're gonna have to start trusting people sooner or later. I seemed to have gained your sister's trust."

"My sister's only six years old. She doesn't understand anything."

"I do too understand a lot of things," Emma said, "You're the one that's being a big, fat meanie."

"Stop fighting," I said, "Both of you. I understand that you're both siblings, but you shouldn't be arguing this much."

"We didn't used to argue this much," Emma said.

"That was before all of this happened," Nathan said, "I'll be glad when I finally start defending for myself one day. I won't have to worry about anybody. Including my family."

"Don't say stuff like that," I said, "There will be a day where things won't go as planned. What if something happened to your parents and you were the only one that was trained to use a certain type of weapon? What about your sister?"

Nathan didn't answer. There was nothing he could say. He looked only to be a ten year old child. He was older enough to learn how to use a blowdart. Maybe he could learn how to use a small sword or a pocket knife. Either way he was older enough to defend for himself, but what about for the sake of others? He can't possibly just survive on his own. He wouldn't want to sacrifice his own sister into the hands of those monsters as they were called. Whatever they were, they must be horrifying to stare at and too dangerous to be anywhere near them. I wasn't sure. We sat in silence for almost an hour and during that time I could sense the smell of chicken flying through the air.

"My mama makes the best chicken, but since our oven isn't working we had to learn how to cook it over the fireplace," Emma said.

"We didn't even have a real meal last night," Nathan said, "All we had was done squash that was cut up and some dog food."

"It wasn't dog food. It was beef. Although, it did taste a little bit like dog food, but mama told me it was beef."

"You didn't even touch any of your squash."

"I don't like squash. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and it makes me wanna throw up."

"Well, you're gonna have to learn to eat things that you don't like."

"Why should you be saying anything about it? You don't like broccoli."

"Neither do you."

I drowned out their arguing. There were times when I learned to pretend not to hear the ninja while their fighting and this was something I was used to. A few minutes later, dinner was served. Emma had asked if I needed any help and I told her I could get up on my own. I tried the first time and failed. The second time I made progress. The third time I was able to get on my feet and start moving around. I made my way towards the kitchen. A large round table sat in the midst of the room. Upon it were empty plates and glasses filled with water. Juliet helped me in a seat as I sat right next to both her and Emma. Nathan sat down next to his mother and John sat next to Emma. A chicken sat at the center of the table with a bowl of cut up potatoes sitting next to it.

"Daddy, are you gonna give our thanks to the Great Sensei before we eat?" Emma asked.

"We'll do that after dinner, sweetheart," John said.

"You can start helping yourself, Nya," Juliet said, "It's not much of a meal, but it'll have to do."

"Thank you," I said, scooping up some potatoes and placing them on my plate. I just had that feeling like I couldn't eat anything. It felt as though I had to get some answers. "I'd like to talk to you about something, Mr. Lunner."

"You can just call me John," John said.

"Well, I'd like to talk to you about something, John. You see, earlier this morning, I woke up in the hospital. That explains the hospital gown. I was able to get out of there and I saw some unusual sights. It was quiet. Too quiet. The city is never quiet. It always contains people walking and talking, car horns honking and technology buzzing. I had to get out of the city without a thought of how bad my head was hurting. Once I finally got home, I didn't see my family. All I saw was a strange man lying on the floor with blood streaks all over his face and he was blue from head to toe. I suddenly ran out of the house and fell to my knees with tears bursting from my eyes. The moment I saw a figure moving was when I passed out. I only had two thoughts in my head. Where was my family and what the heck happened to the man lying in the floor inside my home?"

"That wasn't a man in your home, lady," Nathan said rudely.

"Nathan, stop interrupting people when their talking," John said angrily.

"Whatever."

"Mama, can I go get the bush daisies out of the guest room?" Emma asked.

"Yes, sweetheart," Juliet said.

I watched Emma walked out of the room. I faced my way to look at John. "What's going on? I'm not being rude or anything, but I would like some answers."

"If you plan to get some answers, then you shall get some," John said, "What Nathan said was the truth. That man isn't who you think he is anymore. He's someone that brings destruction into the world. There's only one word that describes them."

"What is it?" I was anxious to know.

"Wanderers."

* * *

 **THERE'S BASICALLY NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN CALL A THING THAT'S BLUE FROM HEAD TO TOE AND HAS BLOOD STREAKS ALL OVER IT'S FACE.**

 **IT'S A WANDERER. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLED. HOW CREATIVE CAN I BE?**

 **GREAT NEWS. I MADE FOUR A'S AND ONE B. I WAS SO CLOSE TO GETTING STRAIGHT A'S. I MADE AN 87 IN ENGLISH. JUST THREE MORE POINTS AND I WOULD'VE BEEN OKAY. OH, WELL. I'LL TRY AGAIN NEXT TIME.**

 **I HOPE THIS WAS A GREAT CHAPTER TO READ.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	7. The Truth Has Been Told

CHAPTER 6

THE TRUTH HAS BEEN TOLD

I couldn't believe the word that John had just said. Wanderers. That's all I could hear. Wanderers. That's the only word I understood. Wanderers. It was the only word I could think of. Wanderers. Mixed emotions started swarming around my thoughts like bees would swarm it's hive. Every single letter of that word was collecting through my brain like the bee collecting its honey. They were all stuck together as each individual letter was placed in its own solitary honeycomb. It was all confusing, but I was starting to understand everything. Well, technically I only knew the word, but it was only a matter of time when I would finally hear the entire story. I understand why the entire city evacuated, but why would they leave all those poor sick people in the hospital? Was I the only one? Did they forget about me? Jay didn't forget me and neither did Kai. Jay would never leave me behind, but Kai told him that he didn't have a choice. My breathing became heavy. I knew I would start hyperventilating anytime soon. I just needed to calm down.

"I think now would be a good time to have that cup of tea," I said.

"Yes, of course, Nya," Juliet said, "Let me get some for you." Juliet got up and walked into the kitchen.

I had my eyes on John, not looking to see that Emma had came back with the bush daisies from the guest room. She placed the flower pot next to her water glass, staring at them as she sat down. I kept looking at John as I remembered what I was going to say earlier. "You called these zombie like creatures wanderers. Why give them a name like that?"

"Sometimes they wander, sometimes they don't," John said, "When all this started happening, I saw people running down the sidewalks and those things didn't even seem to notice. They just kept walking as if they didn't see anybody rush past them. I did see one person walking and one of those things just limped up and bit them down in the arm. It was like there was no tomorrow."

"There's may not be a tomorrow for any of us," Nathan said.

"Nathan, what did I tell you about interrupting people?" John asked his son.

"What does it matter to you? What does it matter to any of you?" Nathan's face was full of anger while his father gave him a stern look. Nathan got up from his chair. "I'm finished with dinner."

"Where are you going?"

"Up to my room. It's the one place where I can escape all of you." Juliet came back in with a steaming cup of tea as Nathan passed by her, bumping her on purpose, making her spill the tea. "Why can't people just get out of my way for once?" Nathan walked off, but not before he broke the teacup.

"Nathan!" John called with anger in his voice.

"I'll go fix you another cup of tea, Nya," Juliet said, walking back into the kitchen.

John sighed as he placed his fingers over his temples. "I'll be honest with you, Nya. Sometimes I don't know what's going on in Nathan's head anymore. Ever since this whole thing happened, he's become a different person lately. He doesn't listen to his mother and I anymore. He's always rude when he's around his sister. Whenever we got out to search for food, he goes his own way and finds food on his own. I really don't know what to do about him anymore. I can't punish him. Not in the state that we're living in right now."

"You shouldn't have to think about all that stuff," I said, "The most important thing you can do is find a way to keep you and your family alive in all this. Which leads me to the question that I've been planning to ask. What is going on here and how did it start? Who started all of this?"

"The what and how question I can answer. The who question I can't answer. I don't know who started this but I can tell you how it got started in the city. It all happened when two police cops and a bank robber went missing throughout an entire night and the next morning only one remaining officer returned. While he was in the hospital, he stated that he and the other cop that was with him saw strange zombie like creatures were crowding around the entire lower deck of the sea of sands. They ended up taking the bank robber and he turned into one of them. The other cop turned into one of those things as well. At first nobody believed him. They all thought he was talking crazy. Then yesterday afternoon what that cop said was true. The wanderers came."

"Where did people first start seeing them at?" Juliet had came back with another cup of tea as John had just finished the first part of the story.

"Some people said they were coming in front the west side of the city. I wasn't very sure I could believe that, but it was all true. People first started noticing a lot of them after they made their way into Ninjago Square. I wasn't anywhere near that part of Ninjago City. I was just coming out of the grocery store when I first started hearing people scream. I was a trained detective and I always kept a tazer with me at all times when I saw them, I started running. I had the idea that they were all zombies. Thanks to all the training I had when I was still at the academy, I was able to make it back home and warn my family what was going on. I had Juliet take the children down into the basement while I shut out the windows and doors and made sure they were locked. Once I had them boarded up, I brought my family back up into the living room and told them what was going on. Televisions were no longer airing and I couldn't get a signal on the radio. There was no way we could get any news. We were all in a state of fear. Emma started crying, Nathan was hiding behind the chair as Juliet and I were trying to figure out a plan to where we could survive all this. After not thinking of anything, we just went to bed. I thought that we had lost hope. Or so I thought."

"Did something happen that came to your rescue?"

"One thing did and we were lucky to only have it for a temporary time. I woke up the next morning as I had just remembered the events from the previous day. I looked out at a spot of the window that wasn't covered up and I saw something. I saw the wanderers, but they weren't acting like they did the day before. They were all lying on the ground. At first I thought they were all... well, you know what I mean, but they weren't. They were sleeping. I unblocked the door and I went outside to see if it was a trick. I had checked one of them. I saw one just on the sidewalk in front of my neighbor's house. I wasn't very sure if my neighbor was there anymore, but you get the idea. I had check to see if the thing was breathing, and it was, but it didn't wake up. It was just sleeping peacefully. Too peacefully. It looked as though they were force to hibernate or something. I walked back inside my house and locked up the doors when I heard something that I was so glad to hear ringing in my ears. It was the sound of the radio and on it was a station I was familiar with. At that moment we were able to get a signal and we finally figured out what was going on. The radio host said that an apocalypse was now in session. Unfortunately, nobody knows who's responsible for it, but we do know that the things that we saw just yesterday were not just your ordinary everyday zombies that you see on TV. They were creatures that were blue from head to toe and when they turned, it was either painful or not too painful to one person, which explains the blood streaks. They're also different from zombies because those things only sleep for a few hours. Wanderers sleep for three entire days. Once midnight comes after the third day has ended, they all wake up. After that, doors have to be locked and windows have to be closed to where they can't see you. The good thing about them is that they can't feel your movement when your indoor. You have to be in the same living arrangement that they're in. They won't go after you if you're running. If you walk, they have a pretty good chance to get you. If you don't move at all and your visible to them, they'll catch you. If you don't move and your hidden from them, they won't bother you. You have to be quick and know all their motives. I told you that I can tell you what and how it started, but I can't tell you who. That's out of the question."

"I was wondering if you knew something else. When everybody was evacuating, why didn't you guys just go with everyone else?"

"I didn't want to put my family's life in danger. I figured that we would be better off inside our home."

"Do you know of anybody else that might still be here? I was still in the hospital when all of this happened. Why didn't they evacuated everyone that was inside the hospital?"

"They didn't think it was a good idea to waste time by getting everyone that was sick out of the hospital. People had to get out fast so the doctors and nurses just left them. Of course I'm pretty sure not all of them got out alive anyway."

"John, let's not place images like that in her head," Juliet said.

"It's alright, Juliet," I said, "I've seen a lot of things today that I'm sure to see for a while." I had just finished drinking the rest of my tea and I suddenly wasn't feeling hungry anymore. It's been too much of a day and I would rather go to bed more than anything else in the world. "Thank you for the tea, Juliet. I really enjoyed it. I think it's time I started getting ready for bed."

"Are you not going to finish dinner, darling?"

"I'm not really that hungry anymore. It's wonderful, but I'm just ready to hit the hay."

"You're not the only one that's getting tired," John said, looking over at Emma who's eyes were starting to become droopy. John went over and picked her up out of the chair. "I'll go and start getting her ready for bed. Then I need to go have a talk with Nathan."

"Here, Nya, let me help you to the guest room," Juliet said, helping me out of the chair.

"Thank you," I said as we left out of the dining room.

I couldn't believe all that I heard. Wanderers. One word I just couldn't make leave my head. The letters are scrambling everywhere. I can't make them stop. Wanderers. Wanderers. Wanderers. I can't make it go away. Wanderers.

* * *

 **WANDERERS. WANDERERS. WANDERERS.**

 **THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY.**

 **THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY. NOTHING MUCH HAS BEEN GOING ON EXCEPT SCHOOL AND FAMILY LIFE. I GOT BORED SO I WROTE THIS CHAPTER FOR YOU.**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	8. A Long Night

CHAPTER 7

A LONG NIGHT

Juliet had helped me into bed. Even though the stars weren't even out and the sky didn't turn dark, I was just tired and my head was pounding so much that I couldn't keep my eyes opened. I fell asleep just a few minutes after I was placed into bed, hoping to have a good night sleep. The bed was very comfortable and I was oh so glad to be in it. Probably because this was a guest room and the residence of the house wanted to make sure that the guest were comfortable and felt at home. That's how I felt. Right at home. Only for an hour or two, though.

Visions started to fill my head. Wait, they weren't visions. They were dreams. I was dreaming. It was a continuation of the dream that I had the morning before the incident where I ended up in the hospital. I had just saw the ninja pass by on their dragons, flying towards the horizon. It put a smile on my face. Before I knew it, a shadow appeared, darkening the sky and causing the sun to be blanketed by clouds as black as night. I started to grow afraid. What was going on? As I was standing on top of a mountain, I saw the commotion going on throughout the land. People were becoming vicious zombie like creatures, their eyes as red as blood, limping their way towards living civilians as they started biting people in the arms and legs. Blood was seen pouring out of their limbs. What a horrible sight it was. I heard the noises of winged reptiles flying overhead. Three of them flew by, but only one remained close to the mountains. I started to grow suspicious. Why did the other three dragons leave that one behind? The screaming from the people of Ninjago continue to grow louder as more of those wanderers kept piling in one by one. Actually it was a group of them. Make that groups of them. Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow above me, blocking away any light that I had. Out of nowhere, the dragon made its way to me and I saw its razor sharp teeth coming towards me. That was all I saw before I woke up.

I gasped and shot up in bed. My breathing was heavy and my face was dripping with sweat. My heart was beating rapidly. I wasn't very sure if I should call that a dream or a nightmare, but whatever it was, I didn't wanna see it ever again. I turned on the cordless lamp that was on the nightstand. I needed a little light. I just hate being in the darkness. That dream showed me a lot of things that I wasn't very sure about. Three dragons left behind one. Why was that dragon left behind? Did it sense that danger was on the way? I noticed that he saw me, but was he trying to help me or was I just some tasty snack to him? Dragons don't seem like a threat in this world, but did that one really want to sink his teeth into me? Probably or probably not. I guess that mystery will never be solved. I decided to stop thinking about it. It wasn't worth the headache. Keeping the lamp on, I laid down on the soft pillows and went back to sleep, but not before I heard footsteps coming near the door.

I tried sitting back up and getting out of bed to see who it was in the hall, but my head made me stay sitting where I was. I didn't wanna use my voice to see who it was as I knew that it would attract too much attention. The footsteps came closer to the room as a shadow emerged in the light. I made sure to do whatever I could to keep myself protected when I finally saw who it was walking down the hall. It was only Emma, wearing a pair of unicorn pajamas and carrying a teddy bear in one hand while she rubbed her eye with the other. She was wearing a pair of pink pony slippers on her feet as she stepped inside the room. Her eyes looked tired but still filled with fear. I looked at her with pity in my eyes.

"What are you doing up, Emma?" I asked.

"I had a nightmare," Emma said, "I was too scared to go back to sleep. Why are you up?"

"My head started hurting pretty bad again. I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep for the rest of the night." I wasn't planning to be truthful to Emma. I didn't want anybody to know about my dreams. Not yet, at the least. "What was your nightmare about?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." She started pressing her legs together.

"Are you okay?"

"I really need to go to the bathroom, but I don't like going alone. Nathan usually goes with me, but he won't get out of bed. I know he's awake, but he doesn't wanna help me. Can you come with me? I know it's too much to ask, but I don't wanna wake my parents up."

"Sure. Just give me a moment to get out of bed." I removed the blanket off my body and stuck my feet out of the bed. I was able to set both of them on the floor, wobbling a little as I did my best to stand. After a moment I finally started walking on my own. I had to place my hand on the wall to steady myself, but I was able to get moving. I knew Emma wasn't planing on waiting any longer so I did my best to keep up the pace. "Okay, come on."

She led me to the bathroom. She asked me to hold the flashlight inside while she was in there. I kept the flashlight pointing inside the bathroom and had the door almost closed, leaving enough room to keep the light shining. I thought she would be in there forever, but she tapped on the door lightly. I opened it and saw her standing there, keeping the shining flashlight in my hands. I looked at her with a smile.

"Finished?" I asked.

"I'm finished," Emma said.

"You forgot to flush."

"We don't have running water anymore. The people that used to help us with our water aren't there anymore."

"Oh. Well, never mind. Are you ready to go back to bed?"

"I don't think I can go back to sleep all by myself. Will you come with me?"

"Tell you what? The bed in the guest room is much bigger. Let's sleep in there for the rest of the night."

"Okay."

I led Emma back to the guest room. I placed myself back in bed while Emma laid right next to me. She curled up in the blankets and cuddled her teddy bear in her arms. I noticed that she was turned the other way, looking at the bush daisies on the nightstand. There was something about those flowers that kept the monsters away. I know she told me that they bring happiness and beauty into the world, but I have a feeling that there's something more.

"You brought those bush daisies to the table during dinner," I told Emma, "Why did you bring them?"

"I didn't want to listen to my daddy tell you the story about the scary monsters," Emma said, "I knew that you would have to figure out the truth eventually. That's what my nightmare was about. I saw the scary monsters trying to bite me. I don't wanna live in a world like this. I want everything to be back to the way it was before. I don't like these monsters. I don't like staying in the house all the time. I like going out into the backyard and playing with my dolls. I like to go to school and be with all my friends. I like to go to the park where my daddy can push me on the swing. I like to be happy. I don't like to be scared. I just want life to be normal again." She started crying. What a life that she was living through. Having to be scared every moment of the day when you would rather go out and have fun. That's how I would like to spend life. Going out and having a good time.

I placed Emma in my arms. It was sad to see a little girl cry, but I have to realize that there was a time where I was a little girl and whenever things became scary or when things went wrong I started crying myself. Even if my ice cream slipped off the cone, I would be bursting into tears. I knew how Emma was feeling. I just needed to think of something that would get her mind off all this. "Remember earlier today when you told me a story from the book of the master?"

Her held her eyes out at me as they were still soaked with tears. "Yeah."

"Well, I have a favorite story and I think you might like it. It touches my heart whenever I think about it."

"What's it called?"

"I'll let you figure that out, but first let me tell you. It all started with a young girl who was to be married. She was only seventeen and it states that people in her village were to be married when they turned eighteen. This girl needed to find a suitor as soon as she could because if she didn't get married, she would be know as an outcast. She wanted to marry someone that loved her and had fallen in love with a poor farmer who didn't make much as he worked on his own with nobody to help him. He was already eighteen and figured that he wouldn't get married until he met the young girl. Two months later as she and the poor farmer boy had deeply loved each other more than anything, she told her father about him, but he was shocked to hear what she had said. You see, this young girl grew up rich and it was traditional in the village that a rich woman married a rich man. The girl refused to follow with tradition. When she saw the man that her father wanted her to be with, she knew that he was selfish and would only treat her as if she was money. She decided to tell her father that she would rather be an outcast and marry a poor sweet man than a rich sour man. Telling her that she will regret her decision, her father let her go. Soon she and the poor farmer boy were married and right after they left the village and moved to a place with lots of land, happy that nobody would ever split them apart."

"I know that story. It's called the rich woman who married for love. It states that love is better than money, and even though both are valuable, love is stronger than anything else."

"That's right. Love is much more valuable than money. That's the one thing I can always count on is love."

Emma had finally fell back asleep a few moments later. I was tired myself and thought about drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Somehow I had that story of the rich girl who married for love in my mind. I wasn't rich. Sure I made money, but I wasn't rich. I have a boyfriend who dreams of becoming a great inventor and that can make one rich, but he's not in it for the money. He's passionate about what he does. That story just made me think of him. I missed him. My heart aches for him. Having to be away from him this long just really breaks my heart. Turning my head away from Emma, I cried softly to myself and eventually ended up falling asleep. I missed my family.

* * *

 **EMMA WANTS THINGS BACK TO NORMAL. NYA MISSES HER FAMILY. WHO WOULD WANNA LIVE IN THE WORLD THEIR LIVING IN NOW? I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T.**

 **SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY. HAD SOME STUFF TO DO. OH, I HAVE A TEST FOR ENGLISH CLASS TOMORROW. PRAY FOR ME AND WISH ME LUCK.**

 **HOPE THIS CHAPTER GAVE YOU SOMETHING IN YOUR HEART.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	9. Time to Leave

CHAPTER 8

TIME TO LEAVE

I stayed with the Lunner family for the three days those wanderers were piling up in the streets. I saw some of them just standing in one place for at least a few hours. It was weird just seeing how they wouldn't move. I tried not to pay attention to them and stay away from the cracks of the Windows as much as I could. I was able to finally get back on my feet and tried my best to plan out how I was gonna find my friends once those things finally went down. I took the bandages off my head and saw that only a scar was left, but it didn't bother me. I hid the scar under my bangs, seeing that it wasn't noticeable as I hid the front part of my hair underneath it. I did my best to help out the sweet family that brought me in. I made sure to act like a guest. I enjoyed being around Emma as we played inside games and read some books around the house. Nathan had mostly hid inside his room the entire time. It would've been nice to at least had a decent conversation with him, but unfortunately he wasn't in the mood to be anywhere around me. That was fine by me. I was okay with it.

I thought about the ninja so much that I couldn't just keep them secret for so long. It was on the night before I left that I decided to tell Emma something that I was hoping that she wouldn't tell anyone else. She had just got ready for bed. As she and I told her parents good night, Emma crawled into bed as I sat down in the chair that was over at her desk. I looked at the sweet little smile that I was always so happy to see. I could never have been so happy to see a little girl smile. Even when I was about to tell a serious story.

"Emma, seeing you smile just puts me in a good mood," I said.

"I know," Emma said, "You always tell me that my smile makes you happy. I'm glad that it does. In fact, there's something really, really important that I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"You're like a big sister to me, Nya. I want you to always stay here with me. I never, ever want you to leave my side. Can you promise me that?"

That made the smile turn into a frown. My eyes widen as I knew that the truth had to be told sooner or later. "Emma, I think it's time we had a serious conversation."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't keep those promises to you. I have to leave tomorrow."

"You can't leave, Nya. You're the only one that ever plays with me ever since everything started becoming scary. If you leave, I won't have anyone to play with. You're the only one that puts a smile on my face."

"I know, Emma, but I need to find my family. I'm worried sick about all of them because I keep thinking that they're not out there. I miss them a lot. I'm ready to be reunited with them. Remember the story that you told me about the little lamb that lost his mother and he needed help finding them and he eventually found help?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you're leading me on my journey to find the people I love. I'm a lost girl in need of finding her brother and the greatest friends I could ever have. My brother is the only family I have and those great friends are like family to me as well. I can't just sit here and worry about them all the time. I have to go out and search for them. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, but I still don't want you to go. I've been more happier ever since you came here. Nathan used to make me happy, but he won't even do anything anymore. What am I gonna do if you're not here?"

I sighed, seeing that my secret could no longer be kept inside of me. "I can't keep this a secret anymore, Emma. Something may happen one of these days and you'll have to know the truth sooner or later. I know that you've heard about the ninja a lot on the news."

"Of course I've heard about them. They're the greatest ninja that Ninjago has ever had. They may not be here right now, but I'm sure that they're doing all they can to help us."

"What if I told you that I had a strong connection with the ninja?"

"What do you mean?"

"My brother and friends that I've told you about so much are the ninja."

"They are? Which one of the ninja is your brother?"

"The fire ninja is."

"The fire ninja is your brother? I hope I'm not dreaming about you saying any of this. Kai is my favorite ninja of all time. I even keep all the magazines that he's in. I'm his biggest fan."

"That's good to hear. A lot of kids love my brother. They think of him as a good role model."

"I know that you weren't able to keep my first promise, but can you promise me that I'll be able to meet Kai?"

"Trust me, Emma, the next time we drive into Ninjago City, I'll make sure that you get to meet my brother. Mark my words, I'm sure that we'll have to drop by every now and then. Right now, I'm hoping you can promise me something."

"Well, since you said that you would keep my promise, I'll keep a promise that I make for you. Go ahead and tell me what it is."

"I want you to promise me that you won't tell your parents or your brother about me having a strong connection with the ninja. The next time we come into the city, I'll tell them myself. You guys are gonna have to get out of here sooner or later. There's no point in staying if there's nobody else here. Of course, that's what I suggest you do. Can you keep that promise for me, Emma?"

"I'll make sure I don't say a word about any of it. I don't like to keep a secret from my mama or daddy, but it's a promise that I have to keep. I won't tell Nathan about any of it. It's not like he's gonna believe me or anything."

"Thanks, Emma. I'm glad I can count on you."

"I can always count on you, Nya. I really, really don't want you to go. What if I end up forgetting about you?"

"You won't forget me. You'll always have this." I searched through the bag that was hooked onto the belt of my dress and took out a bracelet that was similar to mine. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a bracelet."

"It is, but this is no ordinary bracelet. I made this one myself. Well, I actually made a bunch of them, but this one was the only extra one I had. I don't want you to tell your parents that I gave this to you. Right now is not the right time for them to know about all this. I know you don't like keeping secrets from your parents, but some things are to be left inside your own mind. I'm giving you this bracelet for one reason only. If anything were to happen to your family and you needed help, just hide in the basement and flip the red switch to communication and you'll be able to get into contact with me. I'll have my bracelet on at all time. Just don't tell your parents about and keep it on your wrist at all times. It's only for emergencies. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Thank you, Nya."

"Anytime, Emma. Now I suppose you're starting to get sleepy."

"Kind of. I'll be asleep in a few minutes, though. Good night, Nya."

"Good night, Emma. Sweet dreams."

Getting up from the chair, I saw that Emma had fallen fast asleep. I blew out the candle that sat on the nightstand and started my way out the door. I turned my head to take one last look at Emma. I was surely gonna miss her once I leave, but I can't stay here forever. I have to go out and find the ninja, no matter what it takes. I closed Emma's door and headed out to the guest room to prepare myself for bed as I knew tomorrow would be a long day. Out in the hall, I heard the sound of a clock from outside sounding nine times, stating that it was nine at night. It seemed awfully strange, but I decided not to worry about it and went straight to bed.

The next morning, I woke up to see peaks of sunlight trying to sneak its way inside the room. I was up and at them, grabbing my bag and looked through the crack of the window that wasn't boarded up to see that none of those wanderers were out there. Well, some were deeply sleeping on the ground, but at least they weren't all over the place. I walked downstairs to see Juliet walking out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of food.

"Good morning, Nya," Juliet said, "Care for some breakfast?"

"I'd love to, but I need to start leaving," I said, "I don't wanna leave the city unprepared."

"Oh, don't leave just yet. Have something to eat before you go."

"I've taken enough from you. I enjoyed your hospitality, but I really must start hitting the road. Thank you for everything."

"You're leaving already, Nya?" John asked, walking inside the living room.

"I'm afraid to say that I am," I said, "Thank you for everything."

"Safe travels, Nya. Don't get hurt out there again."

"I'll try my best."

"Good riddance to you," Nathan said, standing on the stairs, "Good luck surviving out there."

"Nathan, I am getting sick and tired of your attitude," Juliet said, "You come down here right now and give Nya a proper goodbye."

"No. I'm not gonna do what you say anymore. You know why? I don't like her and I especially don't like you. I'm tired of you telling me what to do. I can't stand any of you. Maybe you guys should go join the wanderers and just leave me alone." Nathan stomped his way back upstairs.

I looked to Juliet to see that tears almost fell from her eyes. She looked as though she were about to apologize, but I stopped her. "No need. I understand. I have a brother myself."

"Bye, Nya," Emma said, walking downstairs, "I'll miss you."

I sighed as I held back tears. "I'll miss you, too, Emma."

She ran up and hugged me. I felt her tears soaking my shoulders, but it didn't bother me. I had that same feeling to cry myself. After a moment, I let go. I turned to look at them all. John was comforting his wife as she cried softly on his shoulder. Emma was drying away her tears. Right at that moment, I opened the door and walked away. I walked away as I headed straight to find my family. Time to search for the ninja.

* * *

 **SUCH AN EMOTIONAL CHAPTER. NYA DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE, BUT SHE HAD NO CHOICE. THE NINJA WERE CALLING OUT TO HER. INCLUDING KAI. AND JAY. AND EVERYBODY ELSE. SO EMOTIONAL.**

 **BY THE WAY, I TOOK A HISTORY TEST TODAY AND I HOPED I PASSED IT. I HAVE AP HISTORY, SO GIVE ME A LITTLE FAITH. ALSO ITS OUR SCHOOLS LAST FOOTBALL GAME SO LETS HOPE THEY WIN. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T GO TO THE GAMES, I STILL WANT THEM TO WIN.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER TOUCHED YOUR HEART.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	10. Journey Through the City

CHAPTER 9

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CITY

I left the Lunners home as they were in a state of sadness and in need of help. I just know that they needed help. They seemed like a happy family before all this happened. Now both the parents are working harder than ever to protect a son that seems to be as rude and furious as a tiger and a sweet little daughter who was scared to be anywhere near the windows. Maybe I should turn back. Turn back and see if I can't do anything to help them. I tried, but it didn't work. I just couldn't turn back. I had to move forward. I had to find my family. It was time to begin my journey. It'll all start with finding the ninja. I missed Cole and Zane. Sensei Wu, Garmadon and Misako. I missed Pixal. I missed Lloyd. I missed my dearest brother Kai. I missed my boyfriend Jay. Jay. Kai. Two very important people in my life. I had to find them. All of them. So my quest begins.

For the start of my journey, I went back to my home so I could get some supplies that might be able to help. The moment I went inside the house, I saw that the man that was under the blanket three days ago was no longer there. He must have left when the wanderers had woken from their slumber. I didn't see any others so I went into the control room. I didn't see much of anything in there. My samurai suit was still there, so I shrunk it and placed it in my bag. It was a new upgrade that I added into it a few months ago. I'm actually glad I did that. It helped a lot to fit it inside a small bag. I walked back downstairs and gathered up some food and water. I knew I needed something to travel in, so I decided to take the ultrasonic radar.

When I got to the garage, the radar was gone. Including the van and the backup car. All that was left was Jay`s pick-up truck. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me borrowing it. All I needed were the car keys and I'd be good to go. I'm sure he kept them up in his room. I went back inside the house and made my way into Jay`s room. I've never been inside another guy's room before, but this was my only way to find what I needed when it belonged to someone else. I searched the room high and low. I was able to find a few pictures of Jay and I together. I figured it would be a good idea to take some along. I searched every corner of the room, but the car keys were nowhere to be found. I was able to remember that Jay had said he kept his keys under his mattress. Looking under there, I saw nothing. The keys were nowhere to be found and he didn't have any spare ones. Looks like I was out of options. It wouldn't be a good idea to walk all the way through my journey considering that it would take a while and those wanderers only slept for three days. I needed a vehicle. Then I remembered something that happened a couple of years ago.

It was just a couple of months after my father passed away. Kai and I had to deliver some iron to a well known blacksmith in Oak Village. It was a four hour trip all the way there and back. It was just after we had delivered the iron and started getting hungry, so we decided to stop somewhere for lunch. We had went back to our car afterwards and Kai had suddenly lost the keys. The car was unlocked, thank goodness, but we didn't have any keys to start it with. I had made the mistake of leaving the spare car keys at home. Kai had figured something out, though. Our car was at least ten years old and it usually would start when we had the brake and the gas pedal on at the same time. He also had to wait a few seconds and pressed the emergency blinkers as well. He did all that, and it felt like the Great Sensei was gonna get us home that day. Kai was disappointed to have lost his favorite key chain, so I went and bought him another one, along with a new spare pair of car keys. I figured that if our father's old car could do it, then maybe Jay`s truck would do it as well.

I went back down to the garage and managed to open Jay`s car. He was always forgetting to lock it before he came into the house. I placed myself in the driver's seat and shut the door. I knew it was time to put this baby in gear. I placed my feet on the brake and gas pedal while I pressed the emergency blinkers. A second later, I heard the car charge up. This baby would be in full speed soon. I had to keep it in park as I forgot that the garage door needed to be opened. I used the remote from my pocket and make the garage door automatically open. Once I could see the outside world, I saw a figure standing in the driveway, scaring me out of my wits. I looked to see that it was only John. He walked up to the truck as I rolled down the window.

"Did I startle you?" John asked.

"Not too much," I said, "Is there something that you need?"

"I was wondering if you needed this." John handed me the rose that I found when I first woke up in the hospital. I took it from him and help it tightly in my hands. "I figured you would be looking for it."

"Thank you, John." I had remembered taking the rose out of my bag and showing it to Emma. She had asked me who it was from and I told her about Jay. She then asked if we would get married some day, but all I told her was that he would have to ask me first. I placed the rose in the passenger seat and looked at John. "I don't know what I would've done if I had lost it. It's very special to me."

"I was hoping we could stay in touch. If something were to ever happen, I would need you to help us." He took out a walkie talkie and handed it to me. "If ever you need me or if my family needs you, just use this to keep it touch."

"Thank you. I will." I started up the car. "You keep your family safe, John. I hope to see you all again soon once this whole thing is over."

"Believe me, I'm ready for it to end. Safe travels."

"Thanks."

So I placed the truck in drive and rolled out of the driveway. I looked through the side mirror on my side and saw John standing there with a straight face. I didn't look back. It was time to look ahead no matter what. I had to keep going. At this point, there was no turning back. I had to keep going. I just had to.

I started driving through a few blocks, being careful to avoid sleeping wanderers on the roads. I didn't accelerate my driving. I was only going twenty miles per hour, according to the speedometer. I looked at the gas tank to see that I had a full tank. I was hoping that Jay at least kept a couple of gas cans in the trunk. At least I hoped he did. I was able to make my way into the city, looking around at Ninjago Square, seeing wanderers inside cars and lying on the sidewalks and crosswalks. It was a horrible sight to see. So many innocent lives just littered all over the ground. I hated it. Every part of it. I had saw something in the middle of the road, so I got out and went to see what it was. I went to pick up what looked like a used blow dart. I'm sure it probably just needed to be cleaned and reloaded. It was actually loaded with some spare darts, but it just needed to be cleaned. I went back to the truck and placed the blow dart in the passenger seat. I continued forward as I made my way out of the city into the sea of sands. It looked as though some wanderers decided to take a nap around a heated place. I had made my way over to the city of Oraborous, wanting to know if anybody was there. So I took a pit stop.

I stopped the car and grabbed the blow dart as I got out. I wasn't sure if there was anything around, so I decided to go in and make sure. I didn't walk fast, but I walked at a steady pace. I was already in the midst of the city as I saw the slither battle pit and the Serpentine temple. I hadn't gotten very far, but I was able to find the marketplace in the city. It looked empty. Where were all the Serpentine? Did they place themselves back in their tombs after they saw what happened? I heard noises coming from behind me. It sounded like footsteps. I turned around quickly with my blow dart aiming at the individual. The individual turned out to be a young Serpentine, and not just any ordinary one. This one happened to be Skales Jr. His face looked scared and I had a confused expression.

I made my way over to him. "Skales Jr.? Is that you?"

"It's me, all right," Skales Jr. said.

"What are you doing out here all on your own? Where are your parents? More importantly, where are all the Serpentine?"

"You've gotta get out of here. It's not safe."

"Skales Jr., what are you talking about?"

"There's no time to explain. Come with me to the temple. We'll be safe in there."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Behind you!"

I turned around to see an entire group of Serpentine walking slowly towards us. I started to back away along with Skales Jr. Before I knew it, we were already sprinting away, with nowhere to go and found not a place that was safe. I knew it was a mistake coming here. I thought I could get help from the snakes, but it looks like I was wrong. Keeping up the pace with the young Serpentine, I kept running until I saw something. Out of nowhere, a large bus that looked like a giant snake was sitting in the middle of the road, looking at us with its eyes. I grabbed Skales Jr. by the hand and took him inside. I was hoping we were safe in there.

I poked my head up and saw that the snakes were walking past the bus, not having a clue that we were in there. They were all traveling in one big group, walking like there was no tomorrow. Seeing that the coast was clear, it was time for some answers.

"Skales Jr., what is going on?" I asked, "What happened to the Serpentine?"

"I don't know," Skales Jr. said, "They didn't start acting like this until two days ago. I keep asking my daddy about it, but he says I'm too young to understand."

"You got that right," a voice said from out of nowhere. I was confused to where it was coming from. I was finally able to hear it from a radio surrounding the passenger seat. "Stay where you are. Don't leave the bus. I have some people coming to get you right now."

Having no choice, I decided to sit and wait. I wasn't very sure if those Serpentine were coming back, but if they didn't in the next five minutes, Skales Jr. and I were getting out of here. Right now, all we could do was sit and ask the Great Sensei to give us hope.

* * *

 **SEEMS THIS CHAPTER WAS KIND OF INTERESTING, BUT A LOT OF SUSPENSE. I KNOW IT DIDN'T HAVE MUCH DIALOGUE, BUT I PROMISE THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE. OKAY, LET ME GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU A SPOILER ALERT. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHERE THE NINJA ARE. WELL, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THEM. I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PUT IT OUT THERE.**

 **SORRY I HAVEN'T POSTED IN A WHILE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SCHOOL WORK AND STUFF. I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH A LOT OF THINGS. WELL, ENJOY.**

 **I'M A BIT TIRED, IF YOU WONDERING, BUT ENJOY.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	11. Where Are The Ninja?

CHAPTER 10

WHERE ARE THE NINJA?

 **JAY`S POV:**

Silenced filled the air. The only thing I could hear was the picture in my hand. I felt the warmth of the fire surround my entire body, keeping me warm on this cool afternoon. I was tired of everything at this point. Tired of wanderers. Tired of running. Tired of being surrounded by everybody, even though we're considered a team. Tired of being in an enclosed space. A fenced space, to be exact. In the middle of the woods. Tired of being trapped inside a two floor log cabin and having to search for food all the time. Tired of being away from my family. Tired of being away from Nya. I missed her. I wish I could've hid inside the hospital room and wait for her to wake up. Trust me, I would've done anything for her. Thanks to the one and only family Nya had, I'm stuck in this place, feeling the way I'm feeling now.

I haven't talked to Kai since we left the city. We were just able to get as many people out of the city in the nick of time. We had gotten out not too long afterwards. Driving for six hours straight, we hid inside a log cabin for the night. The next day was spent putting up a strong enough fence just to keep out the wanderers. It's been practically a week since all this happened. I was able to figure out the pieces of the story. A wanderer had made its way through the sea of sands on the same night that Dareth initially robbed the Ninjago City Bank. Unfortunately, Dareth was bit and turned into one of the wanderers that attack Ninjago. I never heard about that until after we got here. Ever since, Kai and I haven't spoken a word to each other. It was his fault that Nya was in the hands of those wanderers. There was no way she could make it through there without someone. If I was still there, I would've helped her. Ninja or not, I could've stayed behind. Nya`s a person. Why couldn't I have stayed behind and helped.

I heard footsteps coming up from behind me. I didn't need to draw my blow dart out because the wanderers were still snoozing after the three days ended at midnight. I turned around to see Kai standing in front of me. I didn't open my mouth and say anything. I pointed my eyes back to the photo in my hands. It was something I could never forget. Nya and I were spending time with each other at the movies and decided to place ourselves in a photo booth. We did and they turned out nice. The fourth photo was of us kissing. We were inseparable. Nothing could get in the way of our love.

Well, maybe Kai can. He continued staring at me, not saying a word. I continued ignoring him, also not saying a word. It looked as though he wasn't gonna leave, so I placed the photo in my pocket and stared him straight in the eye. "What do you want?"

"Sensei wants us back inside the cabin," Kai said, "We need to have a discussion." Once he said that, I had gotten up and grabbed a bucket of water from the supplies. "Don't worry about the fire. We won't be inside long."

"You can't leave a fire unattended. You should know that considering your the fire ninja and all."

"I don't know everything about fire. I may be a fire ninja, but I'm not required to learn about it. You should know that considering that your the smart one around here." He started walking away.

I just had to make a comment come flying out of my mouth. "Nya`s smart as well. You shouldn't count her out on things."

"She's not here right now."

"Whose fault is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Whose fault is it that Nya`s not with us right now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Stop pretending that you don't because I know good and well that you do."

"Listen, it's not my fault that we left Nya behind. We didn't have a choice."

"Yes, we did!"

"No, we didn't!"

"Yes, we did! Stop telling me that we didn't because we did. I would've stayed behind. I would've waited for her to wake up. Unfortunately, you had to be in charge and tell me that I couldn't stay. I don't know what your problem is with me, but you better cut it out before I figure out a way to make you. Do you think I'll do something to harm your little sister? Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you not trust me? Go on. Tell me. I'm standing here waiting for an answer."

Kai was hesitant. He couldn't think of what to say. He started stammering. "I... I don't know. I...I don't... don't think that... that there's anything wrong with you."

"You're not answering me. Tell me the truth. I want the truth. What's really going on?"

"If I say it, I might regret it."

"You see, I knew you were gonna say that. I might not be psychic, but I knew that you were gonna say something like that. I knew you didn't trust me with your little sister."

"I didn't say anything like that."

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did! Stop denying it! I'm tired of the lies that are coming out of your mouth. I want the truth and I want it now."

"I'm not hiding anything from you, okay. You're a very trusting guy. My sister's lucky to have you. If anything, I trust you with my sister more than anybody else. I know you can protect her. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her. You didn't come home for three straight days because you decided to stay by her side every second. If anything, I'm glad Nya chose you."

"I would've stayed with Nya until she woke up. I could've brought her here where she could be safe. I would've done it as a favor for you if you had just let me. Why wouldn't you let me stay behind?"

"We're the ninja. We have to protect the people. Besides, it would've wasted a lot of time to get all those patients out of the hospital and none of them were suitable to travel."

"We would've been able to get Nya out of there if you had just given us some time."

"There was no time. I think it's time you start understanding that."

"I'm not gonna listen to you anymore. What you did was the worst thing you could possibly do. If I had a little sister, I would've gotten her out of a situation in no time flat. I would've been able to help her. You didn't do anything for your little sister. Don't you feel shame clouding around your head? Don't you feel like a horrible brother?"

"Nya`s not a child anymore. She's older enough to take care of herself."

"She wasn't able to take care of herself in this situation. Like I said before, we could've gotten her out of there."

"She wasn't gonna make it, anyway, so what was the point?"

I could hold my anger in no more. I jumped on Kai and punched him hard in the face. He came at me and did the same, only multiple times. I was able to stop him by kneeing the idiot in the stomach. He laid on the ground and as he tried to get up, I grabbed him by the collar, staring into his brown eyes. For some reason, I couldn't keep my strength with him. I body slammed Kai to the ground and fell to my knees, tears streaming from my eyes. I heard the voices of everyone running outside to see what was going on. Just as Kai was about to come at me, Sensei Wu blocked him from causing another hit.

"What is going on here?" Sensei Wu asked.

"It's nothing, Sensei," Kai said, "It's nothing."

"It is something," I said, tears still falling from my eyes, "It's something I can never forgive Kai for."

"If this is about Nya, we can discuss it," Misako said.

"No, I'm done," Kai said, "I don't ever wanna hear Nya`s name uttered by anybody in this group again. She's gone. There's nothing we can do about it. I wish you would all get that through your heads. I personally with Jay would since he seems to be the one blabbering about it all the time."

"I don't wanna hear you say anything like that ever again," I said, "Stop putting images through my head. I can't stand it." I fell to the ground again, this time with a hand over my eyes and I was sobbing like crazy. Kai will never understand. Nobody will. I know Nya`s out there. It just feels as though everyone has given up on hope. If only they could just see what I could. She's alive. I know she is.

Misako placed her hands on my shoulders and lifted me off the ground so I was standing on my feet. "Let's get you inside."

"I'll go wherever Kai doesn't," I said.

"I guess you don't want me around," Kai said, "Nice going, Jay. You just completely lost my trust."

"Kai, calm down," Sensei Wu said.

"I'm not gonna calm down. If Jay wants to act like a child, let him. What he's going through is ridiculous. I'd like it better if he just ran away and found Nya himself. I still won't bring back my trust for him." He walked away. Good riddance. If anybody was acting like a child in this group, it was the hothead. The hothead always acts like the child.

"Some people just never learn," Misako said.

"It doesn't matter to me anymore," I said, "I don't care."

"Let's get you inside. I think all you need is a cup of tea and some sleep."

As Misako took me inside and sat me down in the living room, I removed the picture of Nya and I out of my pocket. All the good times we had. All the joyous memories that I'll never forget. It was hard to let them go. I could never forget Nya. I could never leave her behind. It was too hard to let the love of your life go. I had not a care in the world what anyone else thought. Especially Kai. I would go out and find Nya on my own if I had to. If only I could. If only they would let me. If only I still had their trust. If only. If only.

* * *

 **WHOA. I DID NOT SEE THAT HAPPENING. WELL, I DID WRITE IT, SO I COULD SEE IT HAPPENING. IN MY MIND.**

 **SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING EARLIER. THE USUAL STUFF. NOW I HAVE NO HOMEWORK TO DO AND I'M READY TO UPDATE. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT READ TE ADVENTURES OF LLOYD GARMADON HOLIDAY EDITION, I'LL TRY AND UPDATE THAT EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT I'M DOING.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. NYA WILL RETURN FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

 **HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

 **I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	12. Snakes and People

CHAPTER 11

SNAKES AND PEOPLE

Skales Jr. and I remained on the bus for what seemed like forever. How is it that we were stuck on a bus hiding from what looked like wandering snakes when we could've used my samurai suit to get us there faster? One question can contain so many answers, but it felt as though nobody would answer. I felt stuck not knowing what to do. I stood up to see none of the snakes outside. I looked behind me to check up on Skales Jr. He was huddled in a corner with frightened eyes showering upon his face. I saw that the corners of his eyes were filling up with tears. I don't know how I was good at it, but I'm usually great at tending to children who looked as though their about to cry or are already crying. Just until help arrived, I sat in the corner with Skales Jr. and held him next to me.

I decided to tell him a story I once heard in the book of the master and it was my favorite when I first heard about it. It was the story about a little boy who wanted to play with the other children, but they wouldn't let him because he was poor and they were middle class. They said he would never fit in. He continued to find some kids that would actually let him play with him. When he found a group of snake children in the desert, he asked them if he could join them in their game. One of the snakes said that he would offer to let him, but their ruler was strict about the humans being around snakes and said that he would have to leave. The boy left and went on his way. He found a group of children that were wearing nice clothing that looked as though they were washed and fixed up every day. They were rich kids, but the poor little boy wanted to play and asked the wealthy children if he could join in their game. All the children had said no at first and told him to go back to his own class, but another wealthy child wearing better looking clothing than all the rest walked up to the poor little boy and told him to come to her home and she would let him play. All the children gasped, but the boy said he would follow her and she grabbed his hand and led him to her home-which happened to be the kingdom of Nin. She took him into the garden and gave the young boy a delicate looking ball and told him to play catch with her. He did, of course, and at the end of the day, when it was time to go home, the little princess told him to come back tomorrow and play with her again. The poor boy said he would and went to bed happy, waiting for tomorrow to arrive. The lesson to learn is that it doesn't matter what class you're in. What matters is that everyone should treat you the same.

A noise was heard from outside the bus. I had just finished telling Skales Jr. the story when I suddenly heard it. I walked away from the corner and looked out the window. I didn't see any snakes out there. That's when I started hearing it coming from the door. I walked over to it, wanting to know what it was or if it was someone who was making it. When I made it over there, the door suddenly opened. I backed away quickly and shield Skales Jr. I wasn't letting anything happen to him. If someone's gonna go down, it's gonna be me. I heard footsteps climbing up the steps and just as I was about to draw a weapon out, I saw two strange men enter the bus.

One of the men was wearing a straw hat over his messy brown hair. He was wearing a white shirt that was ripped at the bottom and exposed his shoulders. He was wearing Brown pants that were covered in holes at the knee. His left shoe was almost completely torn apart while the right one was just slightly damaged. His blue eyes looked more as if they were a dark gray color. His look was more serious than friendly.

The other guy had straight blonde hair that just just an inch away from his shoulders. He was wearing a gray shirt and black pants, which were only torn from the bottom. He wore sandals on his feet and they looked as though they were burned from the sun's rays. Probably stayed outside too long. His green eyes glowed like emeralds as his face showed sympathy and a little bit of seriousness.

"Follow us," the man with brown hair said, "We'll get you both to the safety of the temple."

"Who are you two?" I asked.

"Well explain everything once we get to the temple," the blonde boy said, "For now, we need to concentrate on getting you guys out of here."

"Are those things still out there?" Skales Jr. asked.

"Their nowhere near the bus right now, but if we hurry, we'll make it to the temple," the blonde boy said.

"Let's go," I told Skales Jr., holding his hand as we exited the bus.

The two men that were leading us to the temple had dart shooters in their hands, aiming them at every direction just in case something decided to come up at us. As we were getting closer to the temple, the two men stopped us as they heard slithering and moaning coming from behind the building. We hid as long as we could. The moaning and slithering continued for what seemed like forever. I was thinking that the same thing happened to the snakes and they became wanderers as well. It was horrifying just to think about it.

Finally, the noise died down. The blonde headed man looked to see if anything was still out there. "The coast is clear. Remember, if you see any of those thing, just start running and don't stop until you find a good hiding place. They won't chase after you if you run and hide."

"How far are we to the temple?" the boy with brown hair asked.

"About a minute away. Let's move."

"I think I hear a group of them coming our way," Skales Jr. said. It was true. I was starting to hear slithering coming ahead.

"Starting running," the blonde man said, "Now!"

We began running as we saw the group of snakes walking around a corner. Luckily, they didn't see us. We had finally made our way over to the temple. As the two strange men started opening the door, I heard another group of wandering snakes heading our way. I started to become frightened as the men finally got the door open and we all made our way inside. Before the snakes could get anywhere near the door, the men closed it quickly as we were finally safe inside. I was relieved. I was also surprised to see other people and snakes inside the temple with us.

All the Serpentine generals were inside along with a few little snakes that seemed to be their children. Skales was there as well, along with his wife. There were some people as well who looked at me like a crazy person. There weren't many people. Just a few.

Two of them were men, three were girls and one was a little boy who looked as though he were almost twelve. One of the men looked to be in his mid-forties. His hair was Brown but was slightly gray. His eyes were green but looked as though they were getting darker by the minute. He wore a brown jacket that was zipped up and some jeans. He wore no shoes on his feet.

The other guy looked as though he were almost thirty. His black hair was shaggy and his gray eyes looked cold. He had a five o clock shadow showing upon his face. He wore a black sweater a black sweatpants. He wore a pair of black sneakers that looked a size too big for his feet.

Two of the girls looked like they were twins. They looked as though they were in their mid-twenties. One of the girls had her blonde hair pulled up in a pony tail as the other girl had her blonde hair down, seeing that it was curly and long, a few inches passed her shoulders. They both had blue eyes. The girl with the pony tail was wearing a denim jacket with a blue shirt underneath. She was wearing jeans and a pair of white tennis shoes. The other girl with the long hair was wearing a red blouse with some orange pants and brown sneakers. She was wearing a necklace with the peace symbol of Ninjago on it.

The other girl looked to be about my brother's age. She had long brown hair just about maybe three inches passed her shoulders. Her eyes were a striking brown as her lipstick was shining red. She wore a red jacket with a red shirt underneath that had a dark purple heart on it. She was wearing a pair of brown pants with red shoes. She placed part of her hair around her face so nobody could see her. I wonder why she could be hiding herself.

The little boy had brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white shirt and green pants. His shoes were mostly damaged, but still looked as though they could still be useable. His eyes were looking at me as though I were something that he should fear.

Skales made his way up in front of everyone. "Where is my son?"

"I'm right here, Dad," Skales Jr. said, running up to hug his father, who returned the hug.

"How many times have I told you not to leave the temple?"

"A bunch of times."

"Exactly. I told you not to go out there without adult supervision. It's dangerous out there."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I promise I won't do it again."

"I suppose you won't. Just don't try to."

"I promise."

Skales brought his attention to me as he placed a grin on his face. "I thank you for keeping my son safe, samurai."

Everyone placed their eyes on me. I smiled in embarrassment as I looked at them. "Hi, guys. I'm Nya. Or the samurai, if that's what you prefer."

"Say, Skales, I figured that girl would be with the ninja," the Venomari general said, "Why is she all alone?"

"Yes, that's an excellent question," Skales said, looking at me, "I suppose you'll explain to us why your alone."

"How do you even know who she is?" the girl with brown hair asked.

"We've been allies for a while." Skales looked back at me. "Care to explain?"

Seeing as though I have no choice, I told everyone to have a seat as I told them of everything that had happened the last few days. How I ended up in the hospital, when I woke up, how I knew about what happened and all that other stuff. My story wasn't much, but they wanted one, so I gave them one.

* * *

 **WELL, THIS IS GETTING BETTER BY THE MINUTE. SNAKES AND HUMANS WORKING TOGETHER. HOW PECULIAR!**

 **NOT MUCH DIALOGUE IN THIS, I KNOW, BUT AT LEAST I GAVE YOU A GOOD AMOUNT OF INFORMATION. IF YOU GUYS COULD, CAN YOU HELP ME THINK OF SOME NAMES I COULD GIVE THESE PEOPLE? THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS INTERESTING.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	13. Stories Heard Around the Snake Temple

CHAPTER 12

STORIES HEARD AROUND THE SNAKE TEMPLE

After I finished telling my story, everyone gave me looks as if I had been through a cave filled with horror and excitement. I had been, actually. It was terrifying, but on the other hand, it was actually nice when I told them the part about how I spent time with a nice little family who brought me in. I told them my journey was to find the ninja, who were also known to be my family. Each of them had a journey as well, bit they knew that none of their family members were out there. All the people were traveling together, looking to see if they could start a community. Unfortunately, the wanderers were after them and seeing that there was no place to hide in the sea of sands, they were forced to remain in the city of Oraborous, were they became good friends with the remaining snakes inside the temple. I was able to learn all their names.

The man with the brown hair and straw hat was named Derek. The other man with the blonde hair was named Michael. Those were the two boys that rescued Skales Jr. and I from the bus. The man who was in his mid-forties name was Bill. The boy that looked as though he were almost thirty and had cold gray eyes was named Collin. The girl with her blonde hair pulled up was named Amber and the girl with her blonde hair down name was Ruby. The little boy's name was Stephen. The girl that seemed to be Kai`s age was named Kitty. I bring her up last because she seemed familiar to me. Like I've seen her somewhere before.

Skales had came up to me, placing a scaly hand on my shoulder. "In my opinion, I'm not very sure how you were able to survive out there. The part where you said that your boyfriend wanted to stay with you would've been a much reasonable thing to do. I figured that if your older brother was so overprotective, he would've just slung you over his shoulder. That's just my opinion."

"I'm not very sure Kai would go too far as to sling me over his shoulder while I was unconscious and hurt," I said, "I'd figured they would come back for me, though. I really miss them."

"We've all got people right now that we miss dearly," Bill said, "We just hope that the Great Sensei will help us find a cure."

"You think there's a cure for all this?" I asked.

"Trust me, in every zombie apocalypse movie I've seen, there's always a cure," Collin said, "The question is this. Are those things zombies?"

"Nobody knows if those things are zombies," Michael said, "All we can do is protect ourselves and protect the group's that are good to us and know that we can trust them. In this world, trust is the main thing. You either trust somebody or you don't."

"I must say that you are the best at giving good speeches, brother," Derek said.

"Are you two family?" I asked.

"We're biological brothers," Michael said, "Nothing can separate brothers."

"Nothing," Derek said.

"We're sisters," Amber said.

"Twins, to be exact," Ruby said, "I'm actually the oldest."

"You're the oldest by nine minutes."

I looked over towards Kitty to see if she would say something. Not a word came from her lips. Not one came from Stephen's, either. I suppose they weren't in the mood to talk at the moment. Or maybe they were lost in thought and they weren't paying attention to everyone else.

Bill walked to the center of the room. I was wondering why he was waltzing around the place. Finally words came from his lips. "I've got a bit of a story to tell. It's not a happy one, but it's a story. You see, my wife had passed on a few months ago. I was devastated and depressed, but I knew that she wouldn't want me to sit around the place and wait to pass on myself. She would've wanted me to continue forward. That's what I did. A month later, I found out I was gonna be a grandfather. I was happy to hear that. My son was about to be a father. I'm not sure where he is right now, but I know he wouldn't be sitting around the place and not doing a thing. He has to do whatever he can to protect his wife. The last phone call I got from him was that he got out of the city safely with his wife in the passenger seat beside him. I ask the Great Sensei every night to keep an eye on them and hope that nothing happens. I wasn't prepared for any of this, but I survived. How, you may ask? Because I kept going. That's my story."

"A couple of weeks ago, I made plans to propose to my girlfriend on this very night," Collin said, walking in the middle of the room, "I had already found the perfect engagement ring. A beautiful diamond encrusted ring. I saved up seven hundred dollars just to buy it. It was the night we were on our date when all of this happened. Just a week ago. We had just left out of he restaurant in Ninjago Square. It was the middle of the day. We saw those things wandering around and biting people. The first thought I had was that I needed to get my girlfriend out of the city. We jumped into my car and drove off. Drove over to my sister's place. She told me that we didn't have a lot of time. I told her to get into her car with my girlfriend and drive out of the city as far as they could. She told me that she'd do whatever it took to protect my girlfriend. I told the both of them that I would meet up with the both of them again soon. One of these days. Here I am in the safest place I can possibly think of."

"What was your girlfriend's name?" I asked.

"Bailey." Collin sat back down, placing his hand over his eyes. I thought he was gonna cry, but not a single tear fell out of him.

The two brothers, Derek and Michael, stood in the middle. Derek spoke first. "I was at home when it all happened. Michael was out with our dad. When I saw what was happening on the news, I called him up right away. I was putting food, supplies and weaponry inside the trunk of my car. I waited on my brother for what seemed like forever. When he finally came back in his pickup truck, I didn't see our dad with him."

"My dad and I had just walked out of the hardware store," Michael said, "We had went to buy some wood so Derek and I could help him fix his fence. When those things started swarming around the city, we dropped the wood and headed back to my truck. Just when my father was about to open the door to climb into the passenger's seat, he got bit in the leg. Lucky for me, I always kept a blow dart on my belt buckle. I shot it down. I ran over to my father and told him everything would be okay. He told me that his time ended here and told me to leave him and to get back to my brother. I laid him down gently in an allyway and drove off. I hadn't been able to look at him in my mind the same way." He started crying after saying those last few words. In my mind, I felt like crying myself.

"Luckily, you were able to make it through this," I said.

"That's true," Derek said, "We did."

Derek sat his brother down, trying to calm him of the story he just told. The twin girls, Amber and Ruby, continued sitting as Ruby started speaking. "We don't really have much of a story to tell. We don't have much of a family except a grandmother who would rather be in her house than escape just because there are zombie like creatures attacking the city."

"So we escape and came all the way out here," Amber said, "We figured that the city of Oraborous was the safest place to lay low since it was the only hiding place in the sea of sands. We didn't know that it would be filled with snake wanderers. We're here so what else can you do?"

"Have you all figured out a way to escape?" I asked.

"We have tried many times, but it's just too dangerous," Skales said, "Those snake wanderers never know when to fall asleep. Besides, some of us have children here. It would be too risky to put them in danger."

"What about the bus? Haven't you figured out a way to get to it?"

"The bus is our main priority," Michael said, "The problem is that we can't get to it. With all those snake wanderers, we don't have a chance to get out of here."

"There's always a way to get out of a situation," I said, "We just need to think of a plan. How do we get everyone in here out there to that bus?"

"Why are you asking us to make a plan?" Kitty asked.

"Because we're living in a world where making a plan is your only option. Come on, guys. Just take some time to think. That's all we can do."

Kitty stood up. "Well, who's gonna make a plan? If that's all we can do, the least we can do is take turns. Anybody wanna do it?" Kitty sat down, looking at everybody. "Come on. Don't be shy. I'm sure forming up a plan isn't that hard."

"Why are you so lazy?" Skales asked.

"I'm not lazy," Kitty said, "I'm just not good at thinking up plans."

"Well, since I'm considered the oldest in this group, I'll think one up," Bill said, "It may take a little while, but I'll have a plan before the sun goes down."

"You can always trust the old man with the plan," Collin said.

While everybody scattered around the temple, I placed my eyes over at Kitty and Stephen. Stephen had the look on his face as if he wanted to be alone. He didn't want to say a word. I can understand why he didn't want to speak, but I wasn't very sure about Kitty. She didn't say a word. Nothing about herself. Nothing about how she ended up to where she is now. Nothing. Not a thing.

I just had the feeling to walk over there and ask her if there was something the matter. Was it me that was treating her like she was nothing? Did I do something wrong? Why do I have the feeling like I know her from somewhere? It's just all so confusing to me. I had to figure it out. I needed to put the puzzle together. I needed some answers. I stood up and made my way towards Kitty. If I wanted some answers, I was going to have to say something.

* * *

 **WE NOW KNOW THE PEOPLE'S NAMES. ONE OF THEM IS MY ORIGINAL OC CHARACTER FROM PREVIOUS STORIES. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE READ THEM, YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHO IT IS. IT'S KITTY.**

 **SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO UPDATE. I HAD A LOT OF SCHOOLWORK. I'M FINALLY FINISHED WITH MY SPANISH STUFF. NOT A LOT IN MATH. MY HISTORY TEACHER HASN'T BEEN AT SCHOOL, SO WE'VE BEEN DOING STUFF. PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS DONE WITH. I HAVE TURNED IN MY FEMA CERTIFICATE. WELL, I DID THAT ON TUESDAY, BUT STILL. MY ENGLISH TEACHER HASN'T BEEN AT SCHOOL THE LAST TWO DAYS, SO OUR TEST WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR MONDAY. NOW YOU KNOW HOW MY WEEK HAS BEEN.**

 **ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	14. The Silent Speak

CHAPTER 13

THE SILENT SPEAK

When I made my way over to Kitty, she gave me a look that told me she wasn't in the mood to talk. I sat down next to her, but she still didn't say anything. There had to be a way to make this girl talk. She didn't say anything while we all had the chance to talk so I know she is just full of stories. I wanted to know some things. Where did she come from? Where did she grow up at? Did she have friends? A family of some sort? Was she an orphan? Just the usual questions that you would ask anyone in need. I just wanted to get her talking. She tried to get up, but something held her back. She just sat there, looking at me for some reason. At first I didn't understand why, but now I knew that she was taking a look at me. Once she had her view of me, she leaned back on the wall and sighed a long heavy sigh.

"I know who you are," Kitty said.

"You do?" I asked.

"Your brother and I were friends. Well, I still consider him as my friend. Your brother's name is Kai, right?"

"Yeah. His name is Kai."

"Well, I guess I'm talking to the right sister then. It's been a while since I saw you and your family. Moving from sweet little Ignacia Village to Ninjago City was horrible. I would've rather stayed in Ignacia. So, how have your parents been?"

"Their not around anymore. My mother passed a few months after you and your family left. She had some sort of fatal disease. My father passed away a couple of years later with the same thing. It's been me and my brother for a while until his Sensei found us."

"Your really working with the ninja?"

"I am. You'd be surprised that my brother actually became the master of fire. He inherited his powers from our father. Not exactly mind blowing to me, but it was to him. I'd figured it would have to be passed down to somebody."

"I'm sorry to hear that your parents aren't around anymore. I actually loved them a lot. I loved a lot of people in Ignacia, but as time grows by, they just seem to fade away."

I sighed. Kitty hasn't changed a bit since I last saw her. "What about you? How has your family been?"

"Well, I'm not sure how they are now, but before all this, they were doing pretty well. My brother was studying to become a doctor. He's actually pretty experienced with it by now so having him around won't be much of a problem. He graduated medical school three months ago. He was suppose to have an interview three days ago, but it never happened. At least he's a professional."

"We're talking about your brother Nick here, right?"

"The one and only. That's kind of one of the reasons why we moved to Ninjago City. We wanted to be closer to him while he succeeded. He did, though. He did succeed."

"How has your mother been?"

"My mother has been well. I hope she still is, though. She was able to get my grandmother out of the city, but I haven't seen them since. She's been well, though. When we first got to the city, she got a job as the head librarian for the Ninjago City Public Library. I was able to get a job at city hall. I was Mr. Borg`s secretary. We were both able to make enough to live in our three bedroom apartment, so that was good."

"That's good. Has your grandmother been well?"

"She's been good. She turned eighty four months ago. We were doing our best to see if we could help her move back into Ignacia Village, but she told us that she would rather stay close to the family than go back home. Unless we were going back home, she wouldn't go back. That's just how my grandmother is."

"I know this is more of a personal question, but has your father ever come back?"

"No. I haven't seen him since that night. He told my brother and I that he was going on a trip and he wouldn't be back for a while. Now I'm eighteen years old and he still hasn't come home. Everyone at school only asked just one question. Where was my father? I just told them that he had to go on a long archeologist trip to find some rare artifacts and he wouldn't be back for some time. I didn't know what else to tell them. I had to lie. I didn't want anyone to know that my father just vanished. I promise myself that one day I'll go out and find him. I hope that day is soon."

"I'm sure he's out there somewhere."

"I'm sure he is, too. At least I hope he is."

"How did you get split up from your family? Shouldn't you guys be together in a situation like this?"

"I wasn't able to get back to them in time. I was searching for my own place in the city when all this happened. I called my brother and he told me to get out of the city. I called my mother afterwards. She told me to hit the road. Hurry out while I still could. That was the last I heard from any of them. I stopped in Jamanicai Village for the night and slept in my car. When I woke up the next morning, I didn't see any of those things moving. They were all lying on the ground as though they were dead. I spent that whole day gathering food. I've never been in a place like that before in my entire life. My car had stopped and I forgot to find gas tanks. I had to walk on foot to the city of Oraborous. That's how I found everyone here."

"Why didn't you say that when everyone else was telling their stories? Yours would've been a lot similar."

"Everyone around here are strangers. Including the Serpentine. They don't need to know who I am and why I'm around."

"In the world that we're living in now, you don't have much of a choice for people to know who you are." I looked over at Stephen. I was starting to worry about him. He hasn't said a word to anybody. All he's done is sit in a corner and hid himself in the darkness. I looked back over at Kitty. "What about Stephen over there? How come he hasn't spoken to anyone?"

"Stephen's story is more tragic than the rest of ours. He hasn't told anybody else about it but me. I'm the only person he'll talk to."

"Has anyone else here tried to talk to him?"

"They've tried, but none of them have succeeded. He won't talk to anyone else here. I'm the only one that knows his story. I suppose he trust me a lot more than he does anybody else. Which isn't a bad thing, if I do say so myself. I'm good with kids. I like them a lot."

"When was the last time you talk to him?"

"I talk to him some this morning. I woke up to hear him crying this morning so we played a little game until he felt better. He hasn't said a word after that."

"Would it be better if I tried talking to him?"

"I don't know if he'll let you, but you can try. As I said before, I'm the only person he speaks to."

"Let me give it a try. Throughout this whole entire disaster, I was able to soothe two crying children. I'm not sure how, but I guess I'm just real good with kids."

"Let's give it a shot." Kitty led me over to Stephen, who was still crouch up in a ball surrounding the little corner of the wall. Kitty kneeled next to him and once she looked at him, a smile formed across his face. "Stephen, can I talk to you about something?" He didn't speak, but he did nod his head up and down. "I know you haven't talked to anybody here lately, but we're all starting to worry about you. I think it's time you talk to somebody other than me. Do you think you can do that?" He shook his head side to side, with meant no. "I think you can. I wanna introduce you to Nya. She wants to talk to you. Let me ask you this. Why are you only talking to me?"

Stephen was hesitant for a moment and finally spoke up. "You remind me of my sister."

"What was your sister like?" Kitty asked.

"She had brown hair that was cut short and her eyes were blue. My mother was usually gone on business trips so my sister was always around to take care of me. We always played games and she would tell me stories and... we just had all sorts of fun together. Before the bad things happened."

"What bad things?"

"My mother had just gotten back from one of her business trips and my sister said she had to go somewhere and said she would be back in a couple of hours. The last we heard of her was on the news. Somebody had kidnapped her and nobody has seen her since. Three weeks after my sister went missing, my mother quit her job and went back to working as a hygienist over at a local dentist office. Summer had came around and she had to find someone else to take care of me while she was at work. The lady that she hired was a few years older than my sister, but she wasn't anything like my sister. All she did was take care of me and helped with the housework. I stayed up in my room most of the time. My sister was one of the only people that made me happy."

"So what happened your mother when all this happened?" I asked.

Stephen looked away from me when I asked him. Kitty placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stephen, don't look away. Nya asked you a question. I think it's time you tell somebody else what happened."

Stephen sighed. "She's already heard enough. I don't trust her with anything else I say."

Kitty sighed. "Alright. We'll try it again later." She looked back at me. "We'll try and make it work another day."

"Everyone, I have a plan," Bill said, "I think you all are gonna like it."

Whoa. Just a couple of hours ago, Bill said he would think of a plan. Now he has one. We all made our way to the midst of the temple. I looked to see that Stephen didn't move away from that corner. I was thinking of going back over to him, but I figured he needed some time to himself. I walked over to where everybody else was. Let's see if the plan that was made will work once it's been out in the open.

* * *

 **THE SILENT SPEAK. YES. I FIGURED THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TITLE.**

 **SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED LAST NIGHT. TOO MUCH SCHOOL. AT LEAST WE HAVE TODAY OFF SINCE IT'S VETERANS DAY. WELL, I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH TO TALK ABOUT. EXCEPT THAT MY BIRTHDAY IS THIS SATURDAY AND I AM SO EXCITED. ALSO, TOMORROW IS MY FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF MY TIME ON FANFICTION. I WILL DEFINITELY UPDATE THIS STORY TOMORROW AND I WILL BE THINKING ABOUT A NEW STORY. I'M NOT SURE IF I WILL DO IT, BUT I'M STILL HAVING THOUGHTS ON IT.**

 **I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE LIKING THIS STORY AS MUCH AS I LIKE WRITING ABOUT IT.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	15. The Plan

CHAPTER 14

THE PLAN

I had sat down with everyone else as Bill was figuring out how to explain the plan. I looked back over to Stephen, who still sat in the corner far away from us. He looked over at me and I'm not sure if I was seeing things, but I think he smiled back at me. Not very sure if it was a good idea or not, I smiled back, but when I did, he looked away. I wonder what happen throughout this whole time that made him feel so scared. I looked back at everyone else. Bill was now starting to draw out the plan. Kitty looked as if she was bored, Amber and Ruby were wandering around to pass the time, Collin just sat still with his bangs covering his eyes, Michael was cleaning his blow dart shooter and Derek was fumbling around with his hat. Once Bill was finally done, we all leaned in to look at the drawing.

"Alright, everybody, here's the plan," Bill said, "The bus is about ten minutes away from the temple. So the question is this. How are we gonna get to it? The first thing we need to do is make sure the children get on the bus first before the rest of us do. The problem is that we can't get to the bus because of the snake wanderers. Here's what I was able to figure out. The snake wanderers don't sleep while the humans are down. While the humans are awake, the snakes will sleep. Here's the first part of my plan. A couple of us need to create a distraction while one of us gets the children safely to the bus. After that, the rest of us need to think of a way to get on the bus. The second part is plan B in case the first part doesn't go as planned."

"So what's plan A?" Kitty asked, "You haven't explained that part to us yet."

"Allow me to explain plan A first." Bill showed everyone the drawing. "Here we are in the temple. Inside the temple are some things that might be able to help create a distraction to make the snakes pay attention."

"What do you want us to make?" Derek asked.

"Something loud," Bill said, "Something really loud. Something that's louder than an atomic bomb destroying an entire country. Create something that's louder than the human ears can bear to hear."

"There's nothing in here that's loud enough for us to use," Collin said.

"There is one thing," Skales said, reaching for something in one of the bags that was under the table. He pulled out a familiar looking flute that looked as though it once belong to somebody I knew.

Then it hit me. "That's Sensei Wu`s flute!"

"It was originally the first spinjitzu master's flute. I suppose it was passed down to your sensei. Still, I don't plan to return it to you."

"You don't have to, but how did you end up with it? I thought Pythor was the one who had it."

"I took it from him after the battle with the Nindroids. You know, the time when your friend sacrificed himself and he was suddenly found. I had stolen it when that stupid Anacondrai wasn't looking. I've kept it ever since."

"I was just wanting to know. Who knows what would happen if it ended up in the wrong hands?"

"Yes. Who know what could happen? At least it's safe in the Serpentine`s grasp."

"Why would you still wanna keep it, though? Isn't the music that plays from it deafening to the Serpentine`s ears?"

"It is, but as long as it stays with us, it shall never be played."

"I hate to interrupt your game of questions and answers, but I think it's best if we let Bill continue explaining the plan," Collin said.

"Sorry for the interruption, Bill." Skales said it in such a sarcastic way.

"That's alright," Bill said, "I will say that the flute is an excellent thing to use if it makes a good amount of noise." He took the flute from Skales. "What will happen when we start playing it?"

"It will make a horrible noise that the Serpentine hate to hear, but we can manage."

"What about the children?"

"I didn't think about that. We don't want the children hearing that horrible music. It's too risky. Hand me the flute back. We're not using it."

"It's all that we have, Skales. We don't have a choice."

"Yes, we do. Return to me at once. Think about the next generation of the Serpentine."

"Don't you have anything to block the children's ears so they won't have to hear it?" Amber asked.

"What are you jabbering about?" Skales asked.

"Don't you have anything that can prevent the children from listening to the music?" Ruby asked, "You know, maybe some earphones or headphones?"

"Unfortunately, we no longer have anything like that in stock," Skales said, "We had to get rid of the useless things that we didn't need."

"What are we gonna do then?" I asked.

"I suppose that we either let the children manage with the sound or move on to plan B," Bill said.

"I vote that we settle on plan B," Skales said.

"That's not your decision to makes, Skales. It's a decision that everyone here should make."

"Do you mind explaining what plan B is?" Kitty asked.

"Yes, of course," Bill said, "I was thinking that if plan A weren't to settle with everyone, I was hoping this one would. The best thing we could do is wait it out until all the snake wanderers were to fall asleep and then we could make it out over to the bus. We could wait there for the next three days and once the snakes woke up, we could hit the road and find the best destination to go. How does that sound for everyone?"

"You would want us to wait in a bus?" Derek asked, "For three days? That's not gonna be such a good idea. I've got very serious claustrophobia, so that's not gonna be such a good idea."

"If my brother doesn't agree with it, then neither will I," Michael said.

"I think it's better than going out there when their awake," Amber said.

"Same here," Ruby said, "I agree with whatever my sister goes with. I once slept on a bus for six days. It won't bother me a bit."

"I'm okay with either plan," Collin said, "It doesn't matter to me."

"I'm still going with plan B," Skales said.

"Let's vote on this," Bill said, "Everyone that is good with plan A, raise your right hand." Michael and Derek were the only people that raised their hands. Bill was satisfied. "Alright. Everyone that is good with plan B, raise your right hand." Amber, Ruby, Collin and Skales raise their hands. All eyes were mostly on me. Bill even looked at me. "Aren't you gonna vote on this, Nya?"

I wasn't sure if I should vote for either side. I wasn't sure if either one was good enough to work. Would either of them work? That's the question with no answer. I could only give this answer. "I'm not sure, actually. I don't know which side to vote for. I just don't know."

"I'll vote for you," Skales said, "After all, you helped get my son out of danger. The least I can do is help you with this plan."

"As I said before, Skales, it's not your decision to make," Bill said.

"Why can't we all just go along with plan A?" Derek asked, "Plan A seems a lot more simple and sure it'll contain a lot of work and loud noises, but it's better than being cramped up inside a snake bus."

"Well, Nya, what's it gonna be?" Bill asked.

"I don't know," I said, "I just need some time to think about it."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm raising my right hand for plan A," Kitty said, "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"What's your vote gonna be, Nya?" Derek asked.

"I told you to give me some time to think about it," I said, "Besides, I'm not good when it comes to voting on certain things." I looked back over at Stephen. "What about Stephen over there? Shouldn't you let him make a decision?"

"Stephen is only a little kid," Collin said, "Little kids can't vote."

"Oh, who asked you?" Kitty asked.

"Okay, all of this voting stuff is starting to make me become confused," Ruby said.

"Can't we figure this whole thing out one step at a time?" Amber asked.

"Alright, everybody, calm down," Bill said, "It seems that nobody is ready to make a decision yet. Let's all think this through overnight and we can vote again in the morning." He makes eye contact with Collin. "Also, since you don't think that kids should vote, Collin, were gonna bring Stephen in on this as well."

"I really don't think that's such a good idea, Bill," Kitty said, "I'm the only person that Stephen will talk to."

"Then you can tell us what his decision is. Alright, everybody, let's start getting settled down for the night. We got a big day tomorrow."

Seeing as though I've had enough of all these people for one day-even though I have been here for a day-I decided to make my way over to an empty corner of the room. I laid my head down on the only pack that I brought with me. I removed the blow dart and pocketknife that I had in there and sat it down next to me. Well, I placed my pocketknife in my pocket and kept the blow dart next to me. I wasn't very sure what these people were capable of. Forgetting about the events of the day, I drifted off into a deep sleep. It felt so peaceful to be in my own world.

* * *

 **OMG, THIS CHAPTER WAS FILLED WITH SO MANY DEBATES. I ACTUALLY ENJOYED WRITING THIS CHAPTER.**

 **GUESS WHAT TODAY IS. MY ANNIVERSARY. MY FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN I FIRST SIGN UP ON FANFICTION AND BECAME A STORY WRITING MASTER. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE FANS AND READERS AND REVIEWERS OUT THERE FOR BEING THE GREATEST THEY CAN BE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENJOYING MY STORIES. I'VE BEEN HERE A YEAR WITH NO COMPLICATIONS AND NO PROBLEMS. YOU GUYS ARE JUST SO AWESOME. FOR BEING SO AWESOME, YOU EARN A CELEBRATION DONUT. (O).**

 **I HAVE SOME REVIEWERS TO THANK BEFORE I GO. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK Kairocksrainbow, Kai`s Girlfriend, JayaForever421, Scetchdex, ninjago1282, Bob, nya pearl, AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT GUEST OUT THERE. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. THE ABSOLUTE BEST. THANK YOU FOR READING THE STORY SO FAR.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER MEANT A LOT TO YOU GUYS.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	16. Night of the Ninja

CHAPTER 15

NIGHT OF THE NINJA

 **KAI`S POV:**

I felt as though a mass of dirt had swept over me as I washed the dirt out of my spiky brown hair. I've been working with my bear hands all day. Ever since all this stuff happened, Sensei Wu won't let us use our powers. He tells us that it would be better to stay out of sight if we didn't use our powers. I was so use to doing things with my powers. Now I have to do everything by hand once more. It feels as though I'm a blacksmith again. I'm banging a hammer on iron and flattening out a sword to make it nice and new. I still have the thoughts of being a better blacksmith than my father, but I'll be honest to say that I won't become the greatest. Still, I hate not having to use my powers. I've been digging in the soil all day trying to plant crops and wheat. Now I'm washing all the filth from my body.

I've been having one of the worst days yet. I finally got Jay to talking to me again, but I have completely lost his trust. I must say that if he doesn't trust me, I won't trust him around my sister. I've been doing all I can to gain his trust, but it seems as though nothing's working. Maybe I should've let him stay by Nya`s side until she woke up. I guess I did make the mistake of separating him from the lady of his dreams. They've only been dating for two years. I figured things would become serious by now. By things being serious, I mean that maybe Jay was ready to propose to Nya or something, but I don't think that they're ready for that commitment just yet. Hopefully one of these days, but not at the time of the apocalypse.

I walked out of the bathroom with my hair still wet and had on some clothes to wear for the night. It wasn't my usual pajamas that I usually wore at night. It was only a regular red shirt and some plaid red pants. I went downstairs into the living area. Everyone else was already down there, sitting around all over the place. Lloyd was sitting on the couch with his parents and Sensei Wu, Cole was in one of the chairs, Zane was sitting in the creaking wooden rocking chair with Pixal sitting next to him and Jay was sitting in the other chair across from Cole. The fireplace was running well and keeping everyone warm as it would be a cold night.

Seeing that there was no place to sit down at, I placed myself on the wooden floor. The entire room was silent. Not a sound was heard from anybody. I leaned my head back against the armrest of the couch. After a hot shower like that, I was feeling drowsy and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. I would've just done that if not for seeing that everybody was in here and I just decided to join them. I'm not sure why I'm always the type of person who just has to follow everybody else around.

I was mostly looking at Jay the entire time. He hasn't said anything after our little encounter earlier that day. Even though my eyes were on him, his weren't on me. He had his head turned around. I think it's time we had a discussion. I'm just hoping he can gain my trust. If something we're to ever happen, I would figure he would be the one to come out and help. Maybe, just maybe, I could do the same. I stood up and walked over to the chair that Jay was sitting in. When I walked over, he finally looked at me.

"What do you want?" Jay asked.

"I came to apologize," I said, "I didn't mean for that little encounter to happen today and I'm sorry that it did. It was me that started it all up."

"So you admit that it was all you?"

"I'll say that it was."

"Before I ever forgive you for anything, I wanna know something. Would you rather me be by Nya`s side or help the citizens of Ninjago? Let's face it. Nya`s both a hero and a citizen. She's pretty much in both worlds. In the middle of it all. What would you rather me do?"

"You're not gonna get off this subject, are you?"

"No, I'm not gonna get off the subject." Jay stood up. "Not until you give the decision of whether we should go out there and find Nya. Tell me. What should we do? The decision is all yours."

"I don't know what we should do. In fact, I don't think we should do anything at all."

"Why do you think that?"

"I think it's time you just face the facts, Jay. I don't even think that Nya`s out there anymore. If we go out there, it'll just be a waste of time. When am I ever gonna get that through your head?"

"Never." Jay sat back down. "You'll never get it out of my head. You should know that I take things too seriously. It feels as though the Great Sensei is trying to test us. He wants us to think that Nya`s not out there when she really is. I'm not gonna be fooled by anybody."

"How can anybody fool you? How can the Great Sensei fool you? I don't even think the Great Sensei is looking down upon us. If you ask me, I think he's trying to test out our strength to see how strong we are. That's why he caused this whole apocalypse to happen. Well, guess what? I hate all of this. I hate every single bit of it. Sometimes, I hate the things the Great Sensei puts upon our heads. I hate it all. The Great Sensei doesn't test our mind. He tests our strength. Why do you all think that the Great Sensei tests everything that we do? It's ridiculous. Stop believing in all that." I placed my hands over my head and sighed. I hate having to make speeches when people never listen.

"Come with me, Kai," Misako said, "Let's go into the kitchen and get you some tea."

"I don't want any tea," I said, "I just wanna be left alone."

"Kai, calm down," Garmadon said.

"I'm not gonna calm down," I said angrily, "Stop telling me to calm down because I'm not gonna do it."

"You make certain situations worse when your anger is involved. You need to learn how to control your anger."

"I'm not gonna learn to control my anger. My anger is what makes me who I am." I sighed. "I just wish you all could see that."

"Your anger is not what makes you," Sensei Wu said, "You are the one that makes you anger."

"I'm not in the mood for any kind of lectures, Sensei," I said, "Just leave me alone."

"I'm not going to do so."

"Well, I said for you to."

"Your anger is controlling you. You need to learn how to control it. I know where you get it from. Your father had that same problem, but at least he was able to have full control of it."

"Do you think I'll ever be able to have full control of it? No, I won't. If my father were still here, he would help me. He would figure something out." I slumped down on the floor. "Now he's gone and I don't have any help. I have nobody here to help me."

"You have all of us."

"I meant my real family. My parents are gone. Now my sister's gone and I'm all that's left. I'm all that's left." I was on the verge of tears, but I held them back. "I don't have anybody. I'm all alone. I'm done for."

"You are not alone, Kai."

"Would you guys stop trying to cheer me up. I'm done with it."

Misako got up. "Whether you like it or not, Kai, I'm getting you some tea." She went into the kitchen.

"Go ahead," I said, "Do whatever you want. It's not like anybody listens to me."

"You're not the leader of this group, Kai," Cole said.

"Who asked you to speak?" I asked.

"Nobody asked you to say anything, Kai," Jay said, "You were the first person to get up and say something."

"I was trying to apologize, but unfortunately, you won't accept it," I said.

"I won't accept anything until you and I go out there and find Nya ourselves."

"We're not going out there. Face it. Nya. Is. Gone. Get over it." I saw Misako come in with some tea. "Give me that!" I snatched a cup off the tray and threw it against the wall.

"Why did you do that?" Misako asked.

"It felt like a good time to throw something," I said.

"I think it is best if we end this conversation once and for all," Zane said, getting up.

"Nobody asked you to speak, Zane," I said, getting angry once more.

"Kai, stop this!" Lloyd exclaimed, getting up in front of me, "I think we're all tired of hearing this for one night. I think it's time that we all just went to bed. We can discuss things in the morning. Good night, everyone."

"This discussion is not over," I said.

"I said good night." Lloyd went upstairs, proving to everyone that the day was over and it was time to settle into bed.

Everyone else went upstairs. Jay turned around to give me a stern look before continuing upstairs. Sensei and I were the only ones in the room. I sat down on the now empty couch and sighed. "Great Sensei, give me an answer. Who is right? Is it me or Jay? Just tell me."

"We will discuss more in the morning, Kai," Sensei said, "Good night."

Sensei went upstairs, leaving me alone in the living room. I was starting to have doubts and I usually never do. I'm starting to think that my sister isn't out there, but what if Jay`s right? Should I believe him? I had no idea. I wasn't sure anymore. I believe I have lost Jay`s trust, but there was nothing I could do about it. I don't know what kind of decision I should make or if I should make a decision. At this point, I was lost. I didn't know what to do.

* * *

 **HEY, GUYS. ITS ME. THIS CHAPTER WAS SO EPIC. SO MUCH DRAMA.**

 **I HAVE BEEN SO HAPPY ALL DAY. TODAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY. OMG, I'M SO HAPPY. ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GONNA LOOK BACK AND SAY THAT I WISH I WAS THIS AGE AGAIN. SINCE THIS SITE WON'T LET ME TELL YOU MY AGE, I CAN'T SAY WHAT IT IS. AT LEAST TODAY IS A DAY OF CELEBRATION.**

 **HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS AWESOME. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	17. A New Plan

CHAPTER 16

A NEW PLAN

 **NYA`S POV:**

Another dream entered in my head last night. It was a continuation of the dream that has been seizing my head for the past week and two days. All I could see at the beginning was darkness, but I figured out that I actually had my eyes closed. Once I opened them, all I could see were the dark, black clouds in the sky. I looked behind me and realized that the blue dragon's teeth were dragging me as the back of my dress was known as the clothing to be hung up. I saw a hand reach out towards me. I grabbed it without hesitation and looked to see the one person I have been waiting to see for a while.

Jay. My one and only true love. I was happy to be looking through his sparkling eyes. Our hands locked as we saw that we didn't want to let each other go. I felt like I wanted to kiss him. He must've had the same thought in mind because we were bringing our lips close together. Just as our lips were about to touch, a blast of light shot out from the sky. It blinded the both of us. It seemed to have effect on the dragon as well because he began falling from the sky and made a harsh landing on the ground. The light continued to shine, even though there was a huge dust cloud blocking everything. The last thing I saw was a golden figure fly out from the sky. I woke up in a flash.

Whatever dream I was having, it seems as though it's not coming to an end. It feels as though I'm only seeing five minutes of the dream and I automatically wake up. Especially since I see the light of day when I first open my eyes. I got up off the cold floor of the temple in Oraborous. I saw a group of people standing around in the midst of the temple. Probably everybody just going out to get some breakfast. Seeing as though I haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday, I decided to join everyone. When I walked over there, I realized that every single person inside the temple was eating in a large group. Including all the children. Even Stephen was joining everybody and ever since I've been here, he hasn't left the corner of the temple. Oh, well. Everybody has to leave their comfort zone sooner or later.

Kitty was the first one to spot me eyeing the group. "Looks like you finally decided to wake up. Go grab a bowl and sit with us."

I walked over to a large, rectangular table and grabbed a bowl of noodles. As I was returning to the circle of people, I looked towards Kitty. "Nobody told me we were having a group meeting. Why didn't any of you wake me up?"

"We figured you didn't wanna be waken up. You looked like you were having some dream. I wasn't sure if you were having a nightmare, but you were mumbling in your sleep all night. You kept saying stuff like dragons and darkness. I'm pretty sure you said a blast of light. Oh, and I'm sure you said somebody's name. It sounded like Jay. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was."

"Were you listening to me all night?"

"Hard to believe, huh? Actually, I couldn't sleep last night because I had a nightmare of my own."

"What was it about?"

"I don't remember. Some things are to be left in the past. That's where I usually keep my dreams at."

"My dream feels like a story, though. I started having it the morning before I ended up in the hospital. The second part came up the night after I woke up from unconsciousness. Now a third part came up and I'm not sure why it keeps continuing on. It feels as though something similar to that is gonna happen."

"Maybe you should talk to a specialist on dreams." Kitty started laughing out loud. "Seriously, though, if you know somebody that can help you, talk to them as soon as possible."

"Why are you telling me I should talk to someone as soon as possible?"

"I'm just trying to help you out."

"I think it's time we get off the subject of dreams and get back on the subject of voting," Bill said, "I've made some decisions. Everyone here that was involved with voting yesterday will vote today. This time we will include Stephen. Now, I will go around and point you out. Tell me what your vote is. It's either plan A or B. If you have a personal opinion about it, let me know and I'll let you say it. Let's start out with Derek."

"I vote for plan A," Derek said, "Allow me to say why I choose plan number one. I have a big fear of claustrophobia so it wouldn't be healthy for me to be trapped in a cramped up bus for three days."

"If my brother votes for it, then I will as well," Michael said, "I vote for Plan A."

"I vote for plan B," Amber said, "Let me say why. I feel as though we would be safer there than we would be just having to get everyone on the bus in a quick amount of time."

"I go with whatever my sister goes with," Ruby said, "I vote for plan B."

"I vote for plan A," Collin said, "The reason is because I just wanna get out of here."

"I vote for plan B," Skales said, "Allow me to explain. It's better to be trapped on a bus than it is to listen to that horrible flute music. Think about the Serpentine children."

"I go for plan A," Kitty said, "I hate being in this temple and I hate being in this city. It's starting to get annoying."

"Have you decided, Stephen?" Bill asked, "Remember, plan A is to get out of the city as fast as lightning. Plan B is to wait it out three days on a bus. What's your decision?"

Stephen didn't say anything. I could tell that he didn't want to be a part of any of this. Neither did I, but I don't have much of a choice. Without warning, his voice just suddenly said something. "I'm not gonna vote. I don't think we should be making a decision. Neither plan is gonna work."

"So your not gonna vote, Stephen?" Kitty asked.

"I'm not gonna vote. It's time I start standing my grounds, Kitty."

"Whatever floats your boat."

"So the total amount for plan A is four and the amount for plan B is three," Bill said, "Looks like plan A is in the lead." Bill narrowed his eyes towards me. "Nya, have you made a decision?"

My answer was hesitant. I had no answer. I wasn't sure which plan was better. I didn't think either of them would work. I had to think of something. There had to be another plan. There wasn't a chance in Ninjago that plans these people made would work. Luckily, I always had perfect ideas. This time, I had one come through my mind. "I vote for neither."

"I hope you have a good reason," Bill said.

"I do. Neither of the plans will work. Which is why I thought up of a new one."

"What is it?"

"Instead of having to make noises and wait it all out, what if we brought the bus to us?"

"I don't think I'm understanding you correctly."

"Instead of going to the bus, why don't we bring the bus here?"

"Why would we wanna bring the bus inside the middle of the temple?" Skales asked.

"Would you stop asking questions for one minute?" I said, losing my patience, "Let me explain the plan. We need to have two people go out and retrieve the bus. Once they have it, they drive the bus here and we all climb aboard it. An easy and quick way to get out of Oraborous."

"Here's a question," Michael said, "How are we gonna get everybody outside and onto the bus? You are aware that those things are out there wandering around like they own the place."

"I've got that part covered," I said, "Is there an emergency escape door in the back of the bus?"

"Doesn't every bus have one?" Skales asked.

"Then this brings in an easy part of the plan. We'll just back the bus up in front of the door and open up the emergency escape. That way everyone can get on the bus and we'll have a good chance at escaping."

"Will this plan also involve the flute?"

"No, Skales. No music will be involved."

"So we won't have to be squished up inside a bus for three days?" Derek asked, "Is that what you're trying to say?"

"We won't be spending three days inside of a bus," I said, "I disagree with that plan as much as you do."

"I actually kind of like that plan," Amber said.

"So do I," Ruby said.

"It's better than the last two plans that we came up with before," Kitty said.

"I assume that everyone is going with your plan," Bill said, "Is that right, Nya?"

"That's right, Bill," I said.

"Let's take a vote. All in favor of Nya`s plan, raise your right hand." Everyone, including myself, raised their hand, signalling that mine was better. "Then it's settled. We're all going with Nya`s plan. Since she made the plan, she will tell us when it will happen."

"We'll begin the plan in two hours. When that time comes, everyone will follow my lead."

With that being said, everyone went back to eating breakfast. I wasn't in the mood for a meal anymore so I walked away to let everyone enjoy their celebration. Soon all of us would get out of here. We would all go back out there and find our remaining love ones. My plan was to return to the ninja. To my brother. To my boyfriend. Jay. How I miss him.

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY DONE. WOW. A NEW PLAN. THIS IS UNEXPECTED. I WONDER IF IT WILL WORK.**

 **SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG. SCHOOL IS BECOMING REALLY STRESSFUL. LUCKILY, THANKSGIVING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK. I'LL HAVE LOTS OF TIME BY THEN. I'M STILL WORKING ON MY FINAL CHAPTER OF THE ADVENTURES OF LLOYD GARMADON HOLIDAY EDITION. I PROMISE TO HAVE IT UP ON HERE SOON. I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO MAKE YOU GUYS WAIT SO LONG. SCHOOL IS BASICALLY THE REASON WHY I CAN'T UPDATE EVERYDAY.**

 **WELL, THAT ALL FOR NOW.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	18. Escaping Oraborous

CHAPTER 17

ESCAPING ORABOROUS

I was preparing everything and everyone for our escape. I made sure that my blow dart was loaded. Collin had an extra box of darts and said I could keep them. I was surprised when he said that. He didn't look like the type of person who would just give something away. Although I wasn't judging him about it, since I would do the same thing for anybody out there. I was making sure that the children were prepared, having everything they needed or wanted to take with them. I was the one going out there with Derek and Michael to retrieve the bus. We were all excited to be getting out of this city. They were waiting to find their remaining family members out there that they were hoping were still out there. I knew the ninja were still out there. I knew they were all still standing. I just had to go and search for myself.

I had my bag ready and was waiting for everyone to finish up packing. Everyone had their bags finally packed and were waiting by the door. I was standing by the door, looking at everyone. It felt as though they were wanting me to give a speech or something. Something inside me just felt the need to talk to them. "I know you guys have been here for about a week and a half. I suppose all of you wish that things didn't have to happen this way. I have that same wish, too, but right now, if any of us want to get out of here, we have to work together. Together, we can get out of Oraborous. Together, we can return to our families. Together, we can do anything. We may end up splitting and going our separate ways, but it's always good to leave and have such great allies. Who knows? One day we might see each other again. By then, we'll be glad that we made allies that we can trust. Friends, to be exact. I will say that I'm happy I found such great friends."

Everyone applaud when I ended my speech. Bill walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm giving you all the hope I have. You're a very powerful speaker. Maybe you should go into politics after all this is over. Just a suggestion, if you know what I mean. I hope you're up to this task. We're counting on you all. If this may be the last time we meet, then let me give you something for good luck." Bill took something out of his pocket and placed it in my hand. It looked like a coin that wasn't from Ninjago. I looked at him. "Remember when I told you that I had lost my wife? Well, I went on vacation to keep things off my mind. I earned this coin when I saw a street performer play his accordion. Although I wasn't a fan of accordion music, I have to say that he was pretty good. I didn't have any money to give him from the country I was in, so he gave me this. It's given me a lot of luck ever since I got back. I want you to have it for good luck. If you're in a tight situation, it'll get you out of it."

"Thanks, Bill," I said, placing the coin inside my bag, "I'll keep up with it. If I ever see you again, I promise to return it to you."

"No need. It's yours. I've had a good run with it. Someone as young as you deserves it."

A hand was tapping my shoulder. I looked to see that it was Derek. "Are you ready to head out?"

"I am," I said, "Let's go."

Michael, Derek and I slowly went out the door, blow darts in hand. Once we were outside, we didn't see any of the snake wanderers. We had to run and hide, though, to make sure that we weren't seen. I ended up seeing a few snakes here and there, but luckily they didn't see us. I'm not sure which route we were taking. I was just following Derek and Michael. I'm pretty sure they know where the bus is considering that they've been out here time after time. If anything, there was no reason to worry.

We stopped. Michael looked around the corner of the building. He placed his eyes on us. "The bus is right over this corner. Be careful, though. There are some snakes trying to make their way to the bus as well. If you see one getting close to us, take it down."

"Why are we just using blow darts?" I asked, "How long will that keep them down."

"From what we learned, about a day or two," Derek said, "We don't wanna use any weapons that will hurt them. I would rather the population stay alive, if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Okay, before we get anywhere near that bus, is anyone here experienced enough to drive one?" Michael asked.

"I am," I said, "Although my driver's licenses is suppose to expire this year, I'm still very experienced at driving a bus."

"Alright, it's official. You can drive us out of the city's border. After that, you're on your own."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're going a different way. You wanna go find the ninja. The rest of us wanna go and find civilization."

"How am I gonna travel all the way there? The truck that I was driving in ran out of fuel a mile away from Oraborous. What am I suppose to do? Walk?"

"Don't worry. We got your back."

I wasn't very sure what he meant by having my back, but I would not pass down that opportunity to lose my trust for him. As if on cue, I followed Derek and Michael as we quickly made our way over to the bus. Derek was busy opening the door while Michael and I stood guard. A few of those snakes were making their way towards the bus. I didn't want them getting ten feet of us, so Michael and I shot them down. Once Derek finally got the door opened, the three of us climbed aboard. Those snake wanderers were starting to get suspicious and soon realize that we're here. I got behind the wheel.

"Okay, let's figure out how to drive this thing," I said.

"I thought you said that you were an expert on driving buses," Michael said.

"I am. This used to be a tour bus until the Serpentine got their hands on it. I'm sure a lot of things have changed."

"Guys, we've got a problem," Derek said from the back of the bus, "A group of snake wanderers are heading towards the bus."

"Hurry up and figure out how to use this thing," Michael said.

"I'm trying," I said, "Just give me a moment."

"I would rather be in the hands of safety than be in danger. Now hurry up!"

I was able to get the bus working. Luckily, the tank was filled up with just enough fuel. "Yes, we've got it working and have plenty of fuel. All we need to do is get this bus to the temple and get everybody out of Oraborous."

I drove the bus out of the middle of death territory. It took a few minutes to get through all the sharp turns. I had to keep hitting the brakes because the turns were just too sharp. Luckily we made it to the temple just in time. I placed the bus in reverse and made it as close as I could to the door. Derek opened the emergency exit as Bill pulled open the door for everybody to pile on the bus. I saw something out in the distance. A group of wanderers were starting to bring themselves to the temple.

"Guys, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but we need to quicken the pace a little bit," I said, "Those things are starting to come at us."

"Alright, everybody, you heard Nya," Bill said, "Let's quicken the pace. Move, move, move!"

By the time the last person climbed on the bus and as Derek closed the door, the snakes wanderers were too late to try and get inside the bus. All of us were safe. I started to drive out of the city. It took almost an hour to even leave the city thanks to the sharp turns getting in the way. Once we finally got out of the city, we drove only about a mile. I stopped the bus and put it in park once I was able to see Jay`s truck. I open up the bus doors and led myself out. Kitty ran up to the doors.

"Nya, what are you doing?" Kitty asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You just automatically stop the bus and then start to walk away. What is going on with you?"

"There's nothing going on with me. You guys are all going different ways to find your families. I'm going off to do the same. Don't try to stop me."

"How are you gonna get anywhere without a car? You won't survive out in the desert for long."

"I thought that maybe you guys would have a couple of tanks of fuel, but unfortunately you don't."

Michael stood in the doorway with two red tanks in his hands. "I told you that I had your back." He stepped out of the bus and handed them to me. "I suppose you can fill up on your own. I hope you have a safe journey, Nya. Hopefully, we'll meet up again soon."

"I hope for the same thing," I said.

"There's no reason for me to say goodbye," Kitty said, "I've made my decision. I'm coming with you, Nya."

"Are you sure about that, Kitty?" I asked.

"I basically don't have a destination to be at. There's no reason I can't go with you."

"I'll go wherever you're going, Kitty," Stephen said, jumping off the bus, "I don't have anywhere else to be, either."

"Does anyone else wanna go along with Nya?" Bill asked. Nobody said anything. Bill looked at me. "I wish you a lot of good luck, Nya. I hope to see you again one day."

"I hope for the same thing, Bill," I said, "I hope for the same thing."

Bill closed the doors to the bus and drove away with everyone else. I had the feeling that this won't be the last time I meet any of them. Kitty and Stephen climbed into Jay`s truck as I filled it up with fuel. Once I finished, I climbed into the driver's seat and started up the engine, seeing that it still worked. It was nice to finally be inside this beautiful truck. It reminded me a lot about Jay. That's the next stop to my destination. Getting back to my family and friends. Getting back to Jay.

* * *

 **HI, EVERYBODY. GREAT TO BE TALKING TO YOU ALL AGAIN.**

 **HOORAY! NYA ESCAPED ORABOROUS AND SAVED EVERYONE ELSE. SHE'S EVEN BRINGING ALONG SOME FRIENDS. NYA WILL BE REUNITING WITH THE NINJA SOON. FOR NOW, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ABOUT THE NINJA.**

 **OH, IT'S THANKSGIVING BREAK FOR ME. YAY! I'M OUT OF SCHOOL ALL WEEK SO I'LL HAVE JUST ENOUGH TIME TO UPDATE.**

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	19. A Ninjas Morning

CHAPTER 18

A NINJA`S MORNING

 **KAI`S POV:**

I woke up to the sun in my face this morning. It was day three of those wanderers taking their long term naps. To be honest, I wish those things would sleep forever. That way we wouldn't have to defend for ourselves. I wasn't planning to leave my bed. I would rather sleep all day. I was about to get up, but I ended up placing my head back on my pillow. I did not want this day to start. I wasn't planning to go downstairs. I had no plans to look at Jay face to face. Unfortunately, someone knocked on my door. I had no choice to get up out of bed. I kept my pajamas on and wore my robe on top of it. There was no point in taking them off when I would only be wearing them during breakfast. I would prefer to wear them all day, but that's never gonna happen.

I walked out of the room I was in and went down the stairs. All the rooms were empty except the dining room and maybe the kitchen. I was expecting everyone to look in my direction, but when I walked in, nobody placed their eyes on me. I found an empty seat at the table and sat down. I looked around the table to see platters of bacon, sausage and waffles. I sat down and started filling up my plate. I saw that my glass was still empty. I looked to see the pitcher of orange juice. The problem was that it was right in front of Jay, who was sitting on the other side of the table. There was no way I could talk to him, especially to ask him for the pitcher of juice. Misako must have seen that I was looking at the orange juice and grabbed it herself. She handed it to me. I poured myself a glass of it before handing the pitcher back to her.

"Thank you," I said.

Jay placed his eyes in my direction. His expression wasn't anger or sadness. Instead, he had a straight face, something that I haven't seen from him in a while. "You know, it would've been a lot better if you had just asked me. I would have gotten it for you."

"I didn't think you wanted me to say a word to you."

"Why would there be a reason I shouldn't be talking to you?"

"Listen, Jay, I know you're still mad at me about this whole leaving Nya behind thing. It's still deep within your brain and you won't say a word to me about it."

"Kai, I think it's time we just drop the subject for now and talk about this at another time. I'd like for all of us to have a nice breakfast."

"This doesn't seem like a good breakfast to me if we're all sitting here in silence. Listen, Jay, we need to talk right here and now."

"Let's just wait until after breakfast."

"No, it's time to talk about it now."

Jay sighed as he grabbed the syrup bottle. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Our fight from last night. Our little conflict that we had. It's time to talk it out and see if we can't solve this little feud."

"What we've been fighting about is not a feud. It's just a simple little conflict. Yes, we have been fighting over the fact whether or not we should go out there and find Nya. Trust me, I would love to do that more than anything else. I would rather the both of us go out there and find her. Listen, conflicts always happen, no matter what. We have conflicts to solve problems in life. It's like the circle of life, if you know what I mean. I'm serious about that. Our little fight isn't over yet, though. We still haven't made a resolution."

"Well, I've already made one." I paused for a moment and sighed. "I've decided that you can go out and find Nya. I'm not coming along with you. If you wanna go out and search for Nya, then go ahead. Don't say us because I'm not following the trail that you lead."

"Well, it seems that you want nothing more than to lead, so it looks like I'm making you the leader of the entire thing. Lead us to Nya. I'll be waiting for you."

"I'm not coming. I told you that already."

"You are the main reason that Nya was left behind, so you have to come along, no matter how much you don't want to."

"We can't go out there. I'm especially not going out there. Go on and find Nya. I would rather you get hurt than me."

"You would rather me get hurt? Some friend you are. Some brother you are. Some teammate you are. How could you be so cruel?"

"How can I be so cruel? Says the guys who would rather go out and get himself bitten by one of those wanderers. You would rather have that finished up with."

"The both of us need to go out there. I won't go out alone."

"There's a reason I don't wanna go out there."

"And why not? Why would you not wanna go out there and save the one and only sister that you have? The one and only family that you have."

I sighed and looked Jay right in the eyes. I was gonna be firm when I said this. "If I go out there, I'll feel even more guilty than I already do. I already feel horrible for what I did before. I knew we should've never left Nya behind. I don't know why my mind was more concerned about the citizens than my sister. To be honest, I knew that the citizens could handle themselves and I would have the chance to go back for Nya, but I never got the chance. My heart just had to tell me what to do. Every vibe in my body just had to be told what to do. I'm sorry, Jay. I'm literally begging you to forgive me and I've never had to do that before. If you don't want my forgiveness, that's fine with me, but I just want you to know that you were right the whole time. We should've brought Nya with us. Somehow, I was just too stupid to notice that."

"So basically you're apologizing for everything that's happened?"

I sighed. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm doing."

"You know, I've actually accepted your apology the day after we left the city. I was trying to tell you, but you wouldn't stop talking long enough for me to tell you. I have to say that you should know that as well as I do."

"Then why do you keep bringing the subject about the both of us going out to find Nya?"

"Because you were the one that left her behind."

"It would just be much better for you to go out and find her yourself."

"Stop feeling guilty about all of this. You had your chance to save her, but you didn't. Now you have no choice but to come with me and find her."

"I have a choice whether or not I wanna go out there and find her. My choice is this. I'm not coming along."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Enough!" screamed Sensei Wu, who was now standing up from his seat, "Neither of you are going out there. It is day three, which means the wanderers will be awake by tonight. Today, the only thing we are doing is searching for food and supplies, but I will be sending Cole and Zane out to do it. They seem to be the only ninja that are willing to do anything around here."

"But Sensei,-" I started, but Sensei cut me off.

"No buts, Kai. Buts are for sitting. It has been decided."

"Why can't I just make my own decisions for once?"

"Because you are too hot headed and stubborn to do so," Pixal said.

"Stay out of this, android!" I shouted at Pixal.

"Do not talk to her that way," Zane said sternly.

"Would you two just stop butting in?" I asked, "None of this concerns either one of you getting in the way. If only there was some way that you all will just leave me alone for once."

"I'm going to get all of us some tea," Misako said, "I'll be right back." She walked into the kitchen.

"Why is she so concerned about getting everybody tea?" I asked, "It's really starting to get annoying."

"Maybe it's because we all want you to cool off a little bit, hot head," Jay said, "I've been doing some thinking and I finally made a resolution of my own. Once the three days are up, I'm going out there to look for Nya myself. It seems you're being too ridiculous about the whole subject. Your too stubborn. It seems you care more about yourself than you do about your own sister."

I grabbed Jay by the collar and pushed him against the wall. My eyes were filled with anger as I almost became on the verge of tears. My face was red with the blood that immediately rushed through my head. "Take it back. Take it back right now!"

"Look at you, Kai. You're letting your anger take over. You always seem to know how to do that more than be an actual hero. Face it, Kai. If you keep letting the anger rushed through your head, it'll only make situations worse than they already are. Do you really want that to happen? What about your friends? What about your sister? Do you really want something bad to happen to us? Do you really want something bad to happen to your sister? The one and only family that you have? The one and only."

I looked at Jay with the anger seeping away from my eyes. The original color of my face returned back to normal. The only thing that stayed the same were the tears that never left my eyes. I let go of Jay as I backed away, seeing that I was about to spill out tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it that way. Honestly, I... I didn't. I'm sorry."

I couldn't say anything else. Misako had entered the room with tea. I walked over and took a cup, drinking it down to the last drop. I set it back down on the tray and walked out of the dining room. I walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom that I spent the night in. I sank down to the floor in front of the door. I placed my hands over my eyes and began sobbing softly to myself. This isn't how I want my life to go on. I'm becoming angry because it wants to take control of me. Well, not anymore. I'm gonna change my attitude. I'm gonna change my actions. I'm gonna change for the better. I'm gonna change. I'm gonna change.

* * *

 **WHOA. LOTS OF DRAMA IN THIS CHAPTER. THIS IS MY FIRST STORY THAT IS RATED T, SO I'M TRYING TO PUT IN A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. NOTHING INAPPROPRIATE OR ANYTHING. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.**

 **SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE THE STORY YESTERDAY. I HAD ORIGINALLY WROTE THE FIRST DOCUMENT FOR IT, BUT FOR SOME REASON IT WOULDN'T LET ME GO ON IT. I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD TO KEEP THE WORD DOCX AT THE END OR ELSE IT WOULDN'T LET ME GO ON THERE. I WON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE ANYMORE. OH, WELL. AT LEAST I GOT THIS UPDATED. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I'M THANKFUL FOR HAVING SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I'M SURE YOU ALL DO AS WELL. I'M ALSO THANKFUL TO HAVE SO MANY GREAT READERS ON THIS SITE. MAY GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU.**

 **I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS GOOD.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW. GOD BLESS.**


	20. Driving On The Road

CHAPTER 19

DRIVING AROUND THE ROAD

 **NYA`S POV:**

Driving down the road on day three of the wanderers slumber made me shiver a little bit. I was scared that we wouldn't make it to our destination. It made me feel as though the roads were long and the time was short. Thoughts came through my mind and they were telling me that I need to keep going faster and faster so I can get there in time. My feet was on the gas pedal, itching to press down and and speed up. I started to speed up a bit. I just had the feeling to go faster and faster. If I speed up anymore, I might end up causing a wreck. Kitty must have notice this because she placed a hand on my shoulder, calming me down a little bit. I took my foot off the gas pedal. I knew that I could no longer handle it. I placed my eyes towards Kitty.

"You know what, why don't we change spots so you can drive and I can get things in my head straighten out," I said, the tone in my voice shaking a bit.

"Is everything okay, Nya?" Kitty asked, "You seem to be nervous about something. Is it about your family?"

"That part is true. Another part is seeing whether or not we make it there in time. Those things will be up by midnight tonight and I don't wanna spend three days inside of my boyfriend's truck with little food and with no place to walk around."

"Don't say stuff like that, Nya. Have you already forgotten that Stephen is sitting in the backseat hearing everything we're saying?"

"I suppose that I almost did. I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm scared that we're not gonna make it in time."

"Bring your heart out to the Great Sensei so he can lead you in the destination that you plan to go. I do it all the time. It works because I know he's there."

"Then why is he not stopping all the stuff that's going on?" Stephen asked.

"I'm sure he's doing all he can to make Ninjago a place to live once more," Kitty said, "As a wise old mistress once told me this. It is best to be patient. If you are not patient, then things will not go your way."

"I've been patient for so long. I'm not sure how long I can take anymore of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I lied to you about everything that I told you, Kitty. I don't have a family. I don't have parents. I don't have a sister. I don't even live with my grandparents. I don't have grandparents or relatives. I live in an orphanage with twelve other kids who treat me like I'm a nobody. I've been living in that place since I was thirteen weeks old and nobody has come along to adopt me yet."

"Why did you lie to me saying that you had a family? Why couldn't you have just told me the truth?"

"Because I didn't want you to know about the way I was treated by the other kids in the orphanage. They treated me like a nobody. They made me do all their chores while they went out and did things that they thought were fun. I had to make up all their beds, sweep their floors, wash their dishes and all the other chores that they made me do that they didn't want to do. The only friends I had were the people that ran the orphanage and one friend outside the orphanage who always stocked with me, no matter what."

"How did you end up with everyone else in the temple at Oraborous then?"

"The night before, I had ran away. I was tired of all the other kids treating me like I was their servant. I traveled throughout the whole night and made it to the sea of sands by morning time. I kept on walking, but then I started hearing moaning noises. At first I thought it was somebody who had gotten hurt. The moaning noises came from behind me so I turned around and gasped at the sight I saw. It looked like a zombie, but it was blue. It was saying something under its moaning. It said words like evil and join us. When it started coming towards me, I ran off. I kept on running until I made it to the entrance of Oraborous."

"I'm sure by that point you ended up walking into the city."

"I did, but something was going on with the snakes. One of them had found me and told me to run to the temple and not to stop until I got there. He got bit by a human wanderer after that. I ran and made it to the temple. I knocked on the door as hard as I could until somebody finally let me in. They told me everything that was going on. I was scared to leave the temple after they told me everything. That's why you found me in the corner when you came in there that day. I was glad to be alive."

"That's what made you so traumatizing. What did the snakes tell you?"

"They told me that they were zombies. After that, I didn't leave the corner."

"Oh, Stephen. They were kind of like zombies, but they're different like that. If you take them down with a dart, they only stay down fir a day or two. That's as much as I know. I'm sure the snakes weren't trying to scare you."

"That's what you think. At least you have a family."

"So far as I know, I'm not sure I even have a father."

"What happen to your father?"

"He left on a journey when I was about eight years old. I haven't seen him since. Everyday, I waited for him to return, but he hasn't returned to this very day. I have my heart opened up to the Great Sensei that my father will return one day. You can always rely on the Great Sensei to help you when you need it the most."

"I hope he does something to help us with this whole thing."

"I'm sure he will one day. We just have to wait."

"I don't mean to stop your conversation, but I really cannot concentrate on driving when you guys are chattering about this and that," I said, "You know what I mean? I mean, I just need some quiet, if you know what I mean."

"Nya, calm down," Kitty said, placing her hand on my shoulder, "There's nothing to worry about. We'll make it to them. Just have you heart opened up. That all you have to have."

"Listen, I don't have time to open up my heart right now. I really need to drive. That's all I need to concentrate on is driving. Can I just drive in peace?"

"Kitty, there's something wrong with Kitty," Stephen said, becoming scared.

"There's nothing to be scared about, Stephen," Kitty said, "Nya is just a little worried. The only thing she's scared of is not getting back to her family in time."

"I thought they were the ninja."

"They are, but Nya is a part of them. They're like her family. Her brother is a ninja."

"What kind of ninja?"

"A fire ninja."

"I'm Kai`s biggest fan. I can't wait to meet him."

"Neither can I."

"I can't wait to see him again," I said, calming down a bit. Before I knew it, I saw a giant cabin in the distance. I saw people walking around there, piling up something in the back of a car. I gasped when I saw who the people were. "Guys, we've made it to our destination."

"We have?" Kitty asked, "Are the ninja out in the distance?"

"They are. I can see them all the way from here. We're almost there. I'm almost back to my family."

We drove down the road slow and steady. I didn't want anyone to think I was sneaking around by driving fast or anything. The moments that we drove there seemed like forever. I was returning to them. The ninja. My friends. My family. My brother. My boyfriend. Everyone. Once we made it to the enclosed fence, I stopped the truck and removed myself from the driver's seat. Kitty got out of the passenger's seat and opened the backseat door for Stephen to get out. I looked through the fence, seeing the back of the mega sonic radar opened up and filled with supplies. Looks like one of the ninja were going out to find food and supplies.

"Looks like Sensei is sending one of the ninja out on a mission to find some food and supplies," I said.

"Why don't we wait out here for a moment to see if they'll see us?" Kitty said.

"Nya?" a voice said from the other side of the fence. I looked to see Cole standing next to the mega sonic radar. His eyes widened in surprise. He walked up to the fence. "Is that really you?"

I looked at him. "Do I look like anyone else to you?"

"Here, let me open the fence for you guys." Cole unlocked the fence and opened it up to let me in. He smiled as he hugged me. "You will not believe how much all of us have missed you. Kai and Jay have been wanting to find you themselves, but Sensei wouldn't let them because of the amount of arguments they've been into." Cole ran inside the cabin. "Guys, you won't believe who I just found."

Cole came out with both Kai and Jay following. The moment Kai laid eyes on me, he didn't say a word or ask any questions, and he usually did that. All he did was run up and wrapped me up in a tight hug. Missing him so much, I returned the hug back. The last few seconds of hugging Kai, I looked at Jay as tears were trying to escape the corners of his eyes. Once Kai let me go, I started to walk up towards Jay, but he sped his running up so fast, I stopped walking. He picked me up and swung me in the air, wrapping me up in the tightest gig I've ever been in. I've never experienced a hug like this before. I always knew that it would be from one person and one person only. The love of my life.

* * *

 **HOORAY! THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. NYA HAS NOW RETURNED TO THE NINJA. IT TOOK HER UNTIL ALL OF CHAPTER NINETEEN TO HAVE HER GET TO THAT POINT. THIS ISN'T WHERE THE STORY ENDS, THOUGH. THERE ARE MORE CHAPTERS.**

 **I HAVE A NOTE TO TELL YOU. FOR MY WRITING TO THE NINJA, I WILL ONLY BE UPDATING A NEW LETTER TWICE A WEEK. I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT, BUT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO KEEP WRITING EVERYDAY. TOO MUCH SCHOOL. ITS THE WORST PLACE EVER. PLUS, FINALS ARE COMING UP. NEVER TAKE A FINAL. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO.**

 **ENOUGH OF THAT, THOUGH. I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	21. Together Once More

CHAPTER 20

TOGETHER ONCE MORE

 **NYA`S POV:**

The night was calm and cool. The fireplace was blazing with warmth. A blanket was draped over my shoulders. I was sitting on the couch next to Jay, who's arm was wrapped around me. Kai was sitting on the other side of me. Kitty was sitting on the far corner of the couch as she had an arm around Stephen. Zane and Pixal were sitting together on the couch that was from the opposite side from us. Cole sat in the middle, careful not to squish into them. Lloyd sat on the other side with his hand holding his face as his elbow rested on the arm. Garmadon and Misako both had the chairs. Sensei Wu was sitting in the floor and doing what he usually did best. Meditation. We were all becoming comfortable. The night air was starting to get cold. The doors and windows were boarded up. Towels were placed under the door to keep the cold from seeping in. The fireplace was all we had to keep us warm.

I placed my head on Jay`s shoulder. If there was anything I would rather do, it would be to sleep on my boyfriend's shoulder all night. I looked at everybody. Each time they saw my look, they would smile at me. I would smile back considering that I was happy to be around them once more. I felt my eyes trying to close, but I did my best to not fall asleep. I had a feeling that someone around here would break the silence. I know one person that would, but there were times when I was usually wrong.

"So, Nya, how we're you able to get back to us?" Cole asked.

"Let's save the questions for tomorrow, everyone," Wu said, "I'm sure Nya would like to get some rest. After all, she has been gone for a while."

"It's okay, Sensei," I said, "I don't mind talking about it."

"Do as you must. I won't say a word until the end."

"I was still in the hospital when it all happened. I remembered how I ended up in there. We were fighting off bank robbers and the helmet from my samurai suit just popped off. I was trying to get it back on when this really thick disc hit me on the forehead and before I knew it, I fell down unconscious. It only felt like a few minutes later, but I didn't wake up. I kept hearing noises and the smell of a hospital."

"You've gotta hate those smells," Kai said.

"Anyway, I wasn't very sure how long I was out," I continued, "I felt like it was an hour later, but somehow I was able to overhear Kai and Jay`s conversation. I figured out I was knocked out three days ago. I wanted to wake up, but my body forced me to keep still and make sure my eyes were closed."

"Did you hear the part about me telling Jay that I was going down to the cafeteria?"

"I heard that part." I paused a moment. I didn't want Jay knowing that I overheard him telling me his feelings, so I decided to say one thing. "I doze off back into daydream after that."

Jay sighed and mumbled something I could definitely hear. "What a relief!"

I giggled as I continued on with my story. "The next day I woke up, but nobody was in the room. I had the feeling that something was wrong and ended up removing myself from the bed, grabbing the bag that was left for me in there and ran out."

"Did you grab the rose I got for you?" Jay asked.

I giggled. "Yes, Jay. I got the rose. I wouldn't leave something that you left me behind. You know that as well as I do. Anyway, I ran out of the hospital. I kept seeing people all over the place just lying on the ground. At first I thought they were all... dead, but when I saw some of them breathing, I knew they were alive, but they were different. I was able to make it back home, but the only things I saw was that the whole place was trashed and there was a man lying on the ground just slumbering away. I just ran out in tears. Luckily, I heard somebody call out to me. I tried to see who they were, but I grew into a state of unconsciousness before I had the chance."

"You need to be more careful when stuff happens like that, Nya," Kai said, "In the state that we're in now, you can hardly trust anybody."

"As I was saying, I woke up inside of a room. The first thing I noticed was a little girl sitting in a chair, smiling at me. Her name is Emma. Then there was her mother. Her name was Juliet. Then there was her husband name John and their son Nathan. I would call them a happy loving family, but their son has a bad mood that I thought only an angry gorilla would have. The parents were really kind people. Emma was the sweetest of them all. She's actually Kai`s biggest fan."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. The next time we go into the city, I promised to help them get out of there. I spent about three days with them and I left soon afterwards. I took Jay`s truck, but since I couldn't find your spare key's, Jay, I had to hotwire it."

"Where did you learn how to hotwire?" Jay asked.

"Since that day a couple of years back when Kai lost the car keys and he figured out how to hotwire it himself," I said, "Moving on. I had gotten it started and went on my way. When I made it to the sea of sands, I saw that the truck wasn't wanting to move anymore and that's when I realized there was no fuel in it. Luckily, I was a mile away from the ancient city of Oraborous. I was sure they would have some considering that they stole the tour bus a while back. The moment I walked into the city, I knew there was something wrong."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you to not walk into the city of Oraborous?" Kai asked.

I ignored him. "Anyway, I was walking around until I found Skales Jr. He told me that we had to escape. At first I wasn't sure why he said that, but when I turned around, I quickly found out what he was talking about. A herd of snake wanderers were heading our way. We were able to make it inside the tour bus and hid in there until help arrived. These two men that looked almost a few years older than me came out to save us. They led us to the temple and once we got there, I saw more humans there. I'll tell you all their names. Bill, Collin, Amber, Ruby, Derek and Michael, also the two boys that saved us. Kitty and Stephen here were with them, but they decided to come with me."

"How did you manage to escape?" Zane asked.

"We were able to form a plan," I said, "Unfortunately, the first two plans that the others came up with would never work. The next day, I came up with an even better plan. I told them that instead of going to the bus, we should just bring the bus to us. The plan worked. In the end, Kitty, Stephen and I decided to split apart from the rest of them."

"So you led yourselves all the way here?" Kai asked.

"Yep," I said, "We sure did."

"Well, I must say that we're all glad to have you back, Nya," Jay said.

"If you hadn't of come back, I was scared that Kai and Jay were gonna rip each other's throats out," Cole said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "My brother and boyfriend should be getting along. Isn't that right?"

"The for the last few days," Kai said, "I kept telling Jay that we would get hurt if we ended up finding you and Jay kept saying that we should go out and find you."

"At least Jay was willing to do whatever it took to find me. It makes me think that you won't do anything to find me."

"I kept feeling guilty for leaving you behind. That's why I didn't want to go out and search for you. It would make me feel even more guilty than I already had."

"Which is why I want to apologize for being so stupid," Jay said, "I'm sorry."

"Same here," Kai said, "Truce?"

"Truce."

"It seems that we all have forgiven each other," Sensei said, "Well, I am growing tired. Let us all get ready for bed. Good night."

"Good night," we all said to Sensei as he left upstairs.

I stood up from the couch as Jay took his hand into mine. "Let me lead you upstairs to your room."

"Okay," I said, holding his hand tight as he led me. Kai gave him a look that said no funny business with me, but I would make sure that wouldn't happen. Jay led me upstairs and we both stood in front of a door. I looked into his eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime." He kissed me fully on the lips. "I'm glad that your back, Nya."

"I feel the same way for myself. The only thing I could think of was coming back to you guys."

"How did you know where to find us?"

"Remember when Garmadon and Misako told us that they stayed in a cabin during their first honeymoon years ago?"

"I'm not sure how long it's been since they told us about that, but I do have some memory about it."

"I knew you guys would be here. That's why I made sure to go the right way. This is a really big cabin, though."

"There's enough room for all of us. Hey, if anything happens in the middle of the night, come tell me about it. Okay?"

"Okay, I will."

Jay kissed me again, but for only a couple of seconds. He looked into my eyes. "Good night, Nya. I love you."

"Good night, Jay. I love you, too."

I opened the door to my room and walked inside. It wasn't much except that it had two twin sized beds, a lamp, a dresser and a nightstand. There was also a wardrobe, but I'm pretty sure there was nothing in it. I removed my shoes off my feet and plopped down on the bed. I didn't even bother to curl inside the comforter because I fell asleep the moment I laid down. I was so happy to be with my friends and family again. I no longer have to worry. I'm safe now. I'm safe.

* * *

 **AWWWWWW! THAT WAS SO SWEET. JAY AND NYA`S LOVE WILL NEVER END. I KNOW IT DEEP IN MY HEART.**

 **WELL, TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF MY BREAK. I'M SO SAD. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. THE ONLY THING WE'LL BE DOING IS GETTING READY FOR FINALS AND OTHER STUFF. I HATE TEST. WHEN I'M A SENIOR NEXT YEAR, I'LL MAKE SURE TO PASS WITH ALL A'S AND NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY TEST. I'LL GET AN EXTRA WEEK OFF. I'LL BE SO LUCKY.**

 **ANYWAY, I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS AWESOME.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	22. Girl Talk

CHAPTER 21

GIRL TALK

 **NYA`S POV:**

The dream came back once again. It left off to where Jay and I were about to kiss and a flash of light came blinding us out of the sky and made Jay`s dragon fall to the ground. Once the light was gone, I looked to see that I wasn't with Jay anymore. I was standing on a cloud. Was I in Cloud Kingdom? I've read stories about that place and with all the temples and other places everywhere around me, I was thinking that's where I was. I saw a mysterious figure sitting on the clouds in the distance. I stood where I was. I was worried about walking up to some person that I've never seen before and didn't even know. I thought I had saw him turn his head, but I wasn't very sure. He was too far away for me to see him. He motioned for me to come over to him. There was nobody else around, but since he was wanting me to come over, I moved my feet up to the stranger.

When I made it to the man, he looked like someone that I've seen before. Like I recognized him from somewhere before. He had a long white beard that went all the way down to his knees. He was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed and he was sitting in front of spirit smoke. He almost looked like Sensei Wu, except he had his white hair down in a braid. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't recognize me?" the old man asked.

"I don't think I do. I've never seen you before."

"I am the father of you brother's teacher."

I gasped. "You're the first spinjitzu master?"

"The one and only."

"What am I doing here with you? Is there something that you need me for?"

"Well, actually there is. There is a message that I need you to send to the four masters of spinjitzu."

"A message? What kind of message?"

"This message. The Great Sensei has asked me to do this. Things will happen in the near future and I want you to be prepared. You must leave the cabin and travel to a new community that was just created a few miles away. If you do not leave right away, things will happen."

"What's gonna happen? When do we need to leave? Please first spinjitzu master, you need to be more specific. I don't understand what you're saying."

"I will not give you a specific date and time. I just want you to be prepared. I hope you can understand that. Just be ready. If you have to battle your way out of it, then do so. Things will happen in the future that will be very unexpected. I want you to be prepared for it. This may be the only time you see me. Before you leave, there is a word I must tell you."

"What is it?"

"Here is the word. Love."

A strong wind started to back me away from the first spinjitzu master. "Wait. What's going on?"

"It's time to wake up, Nya. Morning has arrived. Goodbye, Nya."

Everything went white and the only thing I could see now was a brown wooden wall in front of me. I had woken up after a night of slumber. I sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes. The dream once again came, but this time it was different. I saw the first spinjitzu master. It felt weird, though. It felt like it actually happened. I looked around the room to see Kitty sleeping in the other twin sized bed. She was just now waking up. She was sitting up in bed and looking at me.

"Morning, Nya," Kitty said.

"Good morning," I said.

"I heard you doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"You were talking in your sleep. Did you have that same dream again?"

"It was a continuation of the dream I previously had. How do you know I talk in my sleep?"

"I'm actually kind of a light sleeper. Well, some nights, but ever since all of this started happening, I haven't been able to sleep all that well. That's how I'm able to know."

"Okay, well since you keep hearing me throughout the night, what was I saying?"

"You were saying stuff like the first spinjitzu master and the cabin and some other things, but I wasn't able to get it all. That's all I heard you say."

"I think it's best if you would sleep in a different room tonight."

"A different room? No way. That would ruin all the fun. Last night it felt like we were having a sleepover. I've never had a sleepover before. I never really had a lot of friends when I was a kid. I was more of a loner than having a lot of friends."

"Didn't you do anything productive with your childhood?"

"I was a cheerleader."

"Didn't you have any friends on the squad?"

"I had one, but she was only on the squad for two years before she moved to the city. We became enemies from that moment on."

"Enemies?"

"She joined the Ninjago City squad. I was on the Jamanicai Village squad. If we were competing against each other, we had to become enemies. That's know as the laws of the cheerleaders."

"I didn't know certain sports had personal rules outside the game."

"Sports team? Cheerleading is preppy, not sporty."

The door opened to the room. Misako came in with towels in her hand. "Good morning, girls."

"Morning," Kitty said.

"Good morning, Misako," I said, walking over to the dresser.

"Kitty, I started up a bath for you," Misako said, "Why don't you go ahead and run on in there? I'm sure you need a morning of relaxation."

"Sounds nice," Kitty said, taking a towel from Misako`s hands and looking at me, "We'll continue talking about that dream of yours later, Nya."

"Kitty," I said. Before I could catch her, she ran out of the room. I placed my hands on my temples. I was really hoping that none of the elders would hear that.

Misako walked up to me. "What did Kitty mean by talking about a dream?"

"It's nothing, Misako," I said, "We were just talking about girl stuff."

"You don't have to lie to me, Nya. I know what's going on."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. While I sleep, I also meditate. Sometimes, I even look into other people's dreams."

"You've been snooping around in my dreams? Okay, tell me one thing that you saw in my dreams. Anything at all."

"I saw you talking to the first spinjitzu master last night. He was giving you a message that you had to tell everybody. I also saw that Jay and his dragon saved you from the top of the mountain when the darkness was consuming everything. I also saw that the two of you were about to kiss when the light came around."

"I think I have all the information I need. Thank you so much for telling me all of that. In this world, you can never get privacy for anything you're doing. Somebody always has to be around to make sure you're being protected and all that. Honestly, why does everybody think that I need to be protected? I'm Samarai X. I'm also sixteen years old. I'm old enough to take care of myself. I don't need anybody's protection. Look at me. I'm talking and jabbering on and on and on. There are days when I think I'm starting to become my boyfriend."

"No. You're just like your mother."

"Don't be crazy. I don't talk that much like my mother." My eyes widened. "Wait a second. How do you know anything about my mother?"

"Your mother and I were old friends."

"How come I've never seen you around?"

"Secrets are meant to be kept. I started to become busy with my journeys. I was so caught up in certain things, I never really had time to catch up with old friends. I did hear some things about how your mother was on my travels, though. How she had gotten married, had you and Kai and also when I heard the tragic news of her passing on a few years after you came along."

"I was about five when she passed. I wish she were still here."

"The both of us wish that. If you wanna know how I was able to look into your dreams, I am known as the master of dreams. It was a power that was given to me by my mother after she passed on. I figured you wanted to know how I had that in mind."

"Well, thanks for the talk."

"Anytime. Well, breakfast is downstairs if you want it."

Misako left the room, leaving me alone in there. How could she be the master of dreams? Dreams can't be controlled by one individual. Or can they? All this thinking is starting to make my head hurt. I need something to eat. After all, Misako said that breakfast was ready. If I want it, I had to come down and get it myself. That's all I had to do. Get it myself.

* * *

 **SOMETIMES TWO LADIES JUST NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE GIRL TALK. ABOUT DREAMS. AND SECRETS.**

 **WELL, TODAY WAS MY LAST DAY OF THANKSGIVING BREAK. I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. NEVER GO TO SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	23. A Strange Visitor

CHAPTER 22

A STRANGE VISITOR

 **NYA`S POV:**

The morning was a long one. Sensei Wu put me in charge of gardening and laundry. I decided to start on gardening because it was a lot calmer and cooler in the morning. I wasn't sure if going outside was a good idea. The wanderers were up and around. I was worried that they would tear down the fence and break inside. When I went outside in the backyard, I saw a tall wooden fence that looked as though it could protect all of our lives. I saw the garden was thriving as it was filled up with tomatoes, potatoes, corn, wheat and squash. It looks as though they were watered once a day. I began picking them right away. I came up with four whole baskets full of produce and wheat. I took them all inside the cabin in the kitchen. Everyone was amazed to see how much was growing for the last seven days.

Once the gardening was finished with, I went straight to laundry. I figured each person only had a couple of sets of clothes, but there was much more than that. It looked as though a set of clothing had to be washed every single day. The problem was that I wasn't sure how to do laundry by hand. It was impossible. The only thing that was given to me was some washing detergent and a giant barrel filled with cold water. I started to put the lights in there first because I believe that it was the same thing as putting them in an actual washing machine. Using a wooden kitchen spoon, I spun the clothing around until I made sure that the stains were out. After twenty minutes, I hung the light clothes outside to dry. I did the same process with the colored clothes, only there were more of those than there were the light colors. After an hour, I was finally finished.

I was exhausted after a long morning. I placed myself on the couch as my hands felt wrinkly after doing laundry and scratched up after picking the produce out of the garden. My feet were aching from being on them for an entire morning. I was tired and felt as though I wanted to go to sleep, but Sensei Wu came downstairs and saw what I was doing. He gave me a stern look.

"If you were one of the ninja, I would place this staff of mine on your head and it would not feel good," Wu said, "Since you are not the ninja, a stern look is all I can give you. What do you think your doing?"

"I'm just resting my feet for a moment, Sensei," I said, "Besides I finished all the chores that you asked me to do."

"There is still plenty of work to be done. The ninja`s room needs to be cleaned up. Misako needs help with preparing dinner for tonight. The only time we can rest is when the moon and stars are showing in the night sky. We are in a world where we cannot rest for a moment unless there is nothing else to be done. Do you understand the words I am telling you?"

"Yes, Sensei, but-"

Sensei cut me off. "No buts. You have two new chores on your list. Get started on them."

"Yes, Sensei."

I walked upstairs and stood in front of the ninja`s room. I saw Jay walking down the hallway with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Nya," Jay said, "What are you doing?"

"Why is it that you and the others can't clean up your own room?" I asked.

"Looks like I won't be getting a proper hello from you. What are you talking about?"

"Sensei just told me that I had to come up and clean up the ninja`s room. Why can't you guys just clean up before breakfast starts?"

"Sensei says that we have a lot more on our plate. He told us not to worry about the room. He said that you would do it and I tried to add it on to my list, but he told me not to worry about it and said to concentrate on the chores that was given to me. I was just offering to do something that I didn't want you to have to end up doing."

"You were trying to do it?"

"Believe me, I tried, but Sensei wasn't going for it."

"You were going to do it for me."

"One less thing for you to have to do. I would've love to have something extra on my list. You know that as well as I do."

"Did Kai say anything about putting it on his list?"

"Yeah, about that..." Jay`s voice trailed off.

"He didn't say a word to Sensei about it, did he?"

"No, he didn't."

"I don't understand. Why would Kai be acting like such a... such a..." I couldn't figure out the right word to say.

"Like such an idiot?"

"I was gonna say something worse than that, but that sounds a lot better."

"Jay, where are you?" I heard Kai`s voice coming from up the stairs. He looked at both Jay and I with a normal face.

"Hi, Kai," I said in the most friendliest tone I could manage.

"What do you need?" Jay asked.

"Do you know where Sensei is? I need to find him right away."

"I haven't seen him. Why do you ask?"

"There's a stranger that just climbed the gate. He's in the front yard right now."

"A stranger? Around the cabin?"

"Don't even think about blaming me. I didn't let him in. I wasn't even outside. I need to find Sensei."

"Check his room. He might be in there. And I wasn't gonna blame you or anything."

Kai walked away. I placed a look at Jay. "What is going on with you two?"

"What are you talking about?" Jay asked.

"You were talking to Kai in such a strange tone. I've never heard you talk like that. Is there something going on between you and my brother?"

"Everything's fine, Nya. There's nothing to worry about."

"Jay, I know when you're lying to me. Tell me the truth. What's going on?"

"I'll talk to you about it later, Nya. We're kind of in the middle of a situation right now."

I knew he was lying. The tone in his voice said it all. I decided to continue with my chores later as I went downstairs to see Jay standing in the living room along with everybody else. Kai and Sensei Wu were nowhere in sight. I heard footsteps coming towards the door. Stephen started to whimper a bit and Kitty did all she could to keep him calm. Misako and Garmadon were standing next to the door along with Lloyd as he stood behind his parents. Cole was standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen. Zane and Pixal were standing close to the stairs and Pixal held onto Zane`s arm in fear.

Sensei Wu and Kai finally came downstairs. Sensei looked at everyone. "I sense there is someone at the door and he is disturbing to us. Allow me to answer it." He went to the door and held the knob in his hands. Turning it, he opened the door slowly and the stranger was a man who wore a blue suit with black shoes and was wearing glasses around his blue eyes. He looked to be in his fifties. He held out a hand to Wu. He took the man's hand in respect. "How do you do?"

"I'm doing well, fine sir," the man said, "How do you do yourself?"

"I am well. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Mr. Mitchell. That's all I am to go by. I'm sorry to intrude on such short notice. I am in need of some fuel. My car ran out a couple of minutes from here and I was lucky to find such a nice group of people who wouldn't mind sparring a little."

"We don't have much, but we can let you borrow a fuel tank. Why don't you come in and sit down? You must be tired from traveling all the way out here."

"I certainly am. Thank you for your welcoming hospitality." Mr. Mitchell walked in and looked around the living room. "What a nice place this is. I wish I could hide out in a place like this due to everything that's happened." He sat down on the couch. "The furniture is very comfortable."

"How did you end up all the way out here, Mr. Mitchell? Where do you come from?"

"I used to live in the west part of Ninjago City. I live alone, if you're wondering. I don't have children or a nice gal or a family. I'm used to being by myself. Anyway, I was on my way home and that's when I saw those things all around the place. I drove into an ally and hid inside my car until they went down. I was able to stock up on food and supplies. I ran out of fuel and now I don't have anymore to use."

"You've been in your car for the past week and a half?"

"That's right. I can't find anywhere else to go. I'm only a businessman. I have no skills in a world like this."

"Why don't you stay with us for as long as you like? We don't have much room, but I'm sure we can squeeze you in."

"Sorry, sir, but I don't like to live around other people. That's just the thing. I need to find a place that's empty and not so populated with so many people. I need to be alone. That's the way my life works. Place myself in total solitude. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave this cabin. I live here now."

We all gasped at this unexpected news. Well, it wasn't unexpected to me considering that the first spinjitzu master told me about it in my dream. This is why he told me that we had to leave the cabin as soon as possible. He knew this unexpected stranger would waltz in and take the cabin away from us. The only place we could call home.

* * *

 **I FINALLY POSTED A CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY. YAY.**

 **SORRY, GUYS. I'M NOT BEING SO ENTHUSIASTIC TODAY. WE HAVE SOME PERSONAL FAMILY PROBLEMS GOING ON. PLUS, A GIANT LIMB FELL OFF THE TREE AND HIT MY SOON TO BE VAN. I'M LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE IN IT. I DON'T HAVE MY LICENSE JUST YET. THE VAN IS DAMAGED. HALF THE WINDSHIELD IS SHATTERED, THE RIGHT WINDOW SURROUNDING THE PASSENGER'S SEAT IS SHATTERED, THE RIGHT REARVIEW MIRROR CAME OFF AND THERE ARE DENTS ON THE PASSENGER DOOR OF THE CAR. IT MOSTLY DAMAGED AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS INVOLVED. WE WEREN'T HOME WHEN IT HAPPENED. THIS IS ALREADY STARTING TO FEEL LIKE A LONG WEEK.**

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	24. Leaving or Staying

CHAPTER 23

LEAVING OR STAYING

 **NYA`S POV:**

Everyone was shocked at the news. I was more shocked than everybody else. I had just arrived yesterday afternoon and we were already being kicked out. We all looked at Mr. Mitchell. He had a straight face and was looking at all of us. He must be waiting for all of us to start packing our bags and leaving immediately. I just stood my ground. So did everybody else. Mitchell continued to star at us as he sat there on that most comfortable couch. His eyes were just looking from one place to another. None of us moved. None of us spoke a word. Mitchell was the only person on our minds. He continue to sit there with his eyes on all of us. I for one did not take my eyes off him.

I looked around at everyone else. Zane and Pixal were still standing next to the stairs. Cole was still next to the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes filled with anger. Kai and Jay both stood next to me as I was in the middle. Lloyd stood up from the couch. Garmadon and Misako were still close to the door but they started walking away from it. Sensei Wu was standing in front of Mitchell, who was still sitting down and refused to get up.

Kai walked up to Mitchell, his hands balled up into fist. "Listen here, Mitchell. You're not just gonna waltz in here and tell us all to leave. We found this place first. First come, first serve."

"I won't have that kind of tone with you, boy," Mitchell said, "You should already know that I'm older than you. I may not be a father, but I know a thing or two about how to make sure a child like you learns how to behave."

"I'm not a child. I'm eighteen."

"Which considers you to still be known as a little boy."

"Don't talk to him that way," I said.

"Who told you to enter in this conversation, little girl?" Mitchell asked.

"I'm not a little girl. I'm sixteen years old."

"Which also considers you to be a little girl. I know that for a fact."

"Listen, all my brother is trying to do is tell you that you have no right to kick us out. We came here first and we are not leaving. It's like my brother just said. First come, first serve. If you wanna find a place to be alone, you can go search for another house. Otherwise, you can stay here and deal with the problem."

Mitchell stood up from the couch and placed his eyes into mine. "You listen here, little girl. I'm not gonna have somebody like you stand up for yourself so you can tell me to get out. I have just as many rights to live here as you do, but I prefer to live alone. You all have exactly one hour to leave here. I don't ever want to see you again. I don't care where you go. Just as long as you're far away from me."

"So you're just kicking us out to have your own personal space? Well, I have two words for you. Get out."

"What did you say, little girl?"

"I said GET OUT!" I grabbed a vase and threw it straight at him, but he ducked and it ended up hitting the wall, breaking into a thousand pieces. Anger had entered my eyes as I looked at Mitchell. "And stop calling me little girl!"

"Everyone, let me handle this," Sensei Wu said.

"How can we let you handle something like this, Sensei?" Jay asked, "He's trying to kick us out."

"You better listen to that sensei of yours and keep that big mouth shut," Mitchell said.

"Don't talk to my boyfriend that way," I said, anger taking over me.

"He's actually being honest about that part, Nya," Cole said.

"Stay out of it, Cole," Kai said, "You haven't spoke a word this whole time. Why say something now?"

"I believe it is best if everyone just calms down," Zane said.

"You calm down," Jay told Zane, "None of this concerns you."

"Would you stop yelling so loud, Jay?" Pixal asked, "Your voice is louder than the average individual."

"This is no time for games," Kai said.

"She's not even playing any games, Kai," I said.

"How did this argument even begin, anyway?" Cole asked.

"You all decided to join in on mine and your sensei`s conversation," Mitchell said, "That's how all this started."

"It wouldn't have started if you had only been civil enough to stay with a house full of other people," Kai said.

"ENOUGH!" Sensei screamed as loud as his voice would go. We all looked at him and bowed our heads in shame and respect for him. He gave us all a stern looked. "This argument was as useless as any dumb problem in the world. Yes, we are in the middle of a situation at the moment, but there is no need to argue about it. Why didn't you let me handle this entire thing?" None of us said a word. "I'm waiting for an answer." Silence. Not a word was uttered from anyone. "That's what I thought." Sensei placed his eyes on Mitchell. "Let's continue with the conversation now, Mr. Mitchell."

"There's no need to continue on with anything, Sensei Wu," Mitchell said, "I've already told you my thoughts. I'm staying here, but I want you all out. You have exactly one hour to leave. If you don't leave by then, there will be consequences with all of you."

"Consequences? What kind of consequences?"

"Whatever consequences I decide. Now get out of my house."

"Your house?"

"Yessssss, my houssssse." Mitchell's voice automatically changed. His voice sounded like a snake. A Serpentine, to be exact. And not a good one, either. "I won't tell you again to leave."

"Pythor!"

"Pythor!? everyone exclaimed.

"I knew it was you the entire time," Sensei Wu said, "What do you want from us?"

"You should now what I want," Pythor said, changing back into his own image, "Revenge. That's all I want and that's all I need. You see, ninja, it has been a while since we last fought each other. You see, I've been busy with plenty of things. Plenty of things that are waiting outside for you."

"Outside?"

I looked out the window to see an army of evil Anacondrai snakes outside the cabin, waiting for us to come outside. I gasped. "You were able to bring back the entire Anacondrai tribe? How?"

"Let's just say that I was able to do a few tweaks," Pythor said, "You see, I knew something like this was about to happen, so I decided to bring back my entire tribe and make sure their prepared. Let's just say that I have somebody that was able to tell me who the culprit was that turned all of Ninjago into what it is now."

"You know who did this?" Garmadon asked.

"Tell us who it is," Kai demanded.

"Kai, let me handle this," Sensei Wu said.

"Now if I told you that, it wouldn't be much of a secret," Pythor said, "As they always say, secrets must never be revealed."

"If you're trying to plan something, why do you need your whole tribe?" I asked, "Why do you want our cabin, anyway?"

"I will say that the master's base is close by, but I will not tell you the exact location."

"The master?" Pixal asked.

"You people ask so many questions," Pythor complained.

"We won't stop until you tell us what's going on," Kai said.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'll take all the anger I have inside of me out on you."

"Kai, you have made too many outburst," Sensei said, "Let me handle this."

"No, Sensei. You say that, but you're not doing anything but saying words that don't mean anything." Kai placed his eyes on Pythor. "Listen here, Pythor. You may have unleashed the Great Devourer, you may have worked with the Overlord to get Lloyd's golden power, you may have brought back your entire tribe and now you do so again, but this is where we draw the line. Whatever master that your working for that's caused all this to happen will not win because we work as a team and we will figure out what you're doing. We will stop you, no matter what it takes. You are not gonna come in here and take away the only home that we have in this world. You will not stay here and plot out your evil schemes just so you can get rid of us. We will stand our grounds and not move a muscle. We are not leaving here and that is final."

Hearing Kai make a speech like that just made my mouth drop open. Pythor didn't seem to listen to a word my brother said because he back away and removed a sword from his side. "Very well. Since you're not going to leave, I will have to make you my prisoners." Pythor whistled, calling his army inside the cabin. They held their swords as we all huddled in a circle. "You decided to do this the hard way, so it looks as though you will have to come with me."

Pythor and his army moved in closer to us as they led us up the stairs. Pythor opened the door to the largest room inside the cabin. We were all placed inside. Pythor closed the door and used the key to lock us in. We were still huddled together. Once we split apart, we went to different parts of the room as we weren't sure what to do next. There was only one thing on our minds. We were all doomed.

* * *

 **HEY, GUYS. A NEW CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED. TURNS OUT AN OLD VILLAIN WILL BE JOINING THIS STORY.**

 **WELL, I HAVE BAD NEWS ABOUT MY VAN. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WILL HAVE TO BE TOTALED. I WON'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE IN IT ANYMORE. THERE WAS TOO MUCH DAMAGE, SO I'LL HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DRIVE. JUST THOUGHT YOU GUYS WANYED TO KNOW ABOUT IT. WELL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	25. Escaping From The Cabin

CHAPTER 24

ESCAPING FROM THE CABIN

 **NYA`S POV:**

We were all inside the largest bedroom in the cabin. It only contained a king sized bed. It was still too small for people like us. Pixal sat in the corner as Zane stood next to her with a hand on her shoulder. Kai stood in the farthest corner in the back. Cole sat against the side of the bed. Jay stood next to me while I had my back against the wall. Garmadon and Misako were both standing next to the door. Sensei Wu was sitting in the middle of the bed, meditating like he usually does. I'm sure it was the best thing to do at a time like this. I walked over to Kitty and Stephen. They were both sitting in one of the corners farthest from the door and closest to the window. This made me think that they wanted to escaped. I was looking at the window. Kitty must haven seen me staring, because she looked at me.

"We're not gonna try to escape," Kitty said, "I'm just thinking of a plan. Stephen here just found the nearest corner and started getting scared."

"I understand," I said, "We all get scared sometimes. Let me try and help him this time."

"He'll only talk to me."

"I'll figure something out. Don't worry. You need a long break."

"In a world like this, you can't take a break. There's no such thing as one. You have to work every moment until nightfall when it's too hard to see anything."

"I'll take care of it. You can trust me."

Kitty got up. "Knock yourself out. Do whatever you can."

I sat down next to Stephen. He didn't look at me. His eyes lowered down to the floor. I caressed his hair. "Hey, Stephen. How are you doing, little guy?" He still didn't speak. "I know how scared you are. I'm scared, too, but I do what I can not to cower in the shadows." Not a word was spoken from him. I sighed. "I guess I'm not gonna get you to talking, huh?" Not a peep. "I guess you should know the story of the poor peasant that never learned to speak." Stephen didn't speak, but he did look up at me with his eyes wide and a light smile came upon his face. "You wanna hear about it?"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Stephen said.

"Oh, looks like you've finally decided to talk. Well, let me tell you the story. There was once a peasant that was born to never learn to speak. People thought of him as lame and independent and spent most of his life out on the streets. Few people wanted to help him and teach him to speak, but he refused every time with a single hand movement. The people that cared about him so much in the village grew tired of him. Even the leader couldn't stand him anymore. People kept asking him to speak, but he kept refusing. One day, the villagers had enough and chased the speechless present out of the village as they threw rotten food and chased him with their weapons. The present looked to the people as they saw him do the one thing that they've never seen him do before. They heard him speak. The present said to each and every one of them, `The Great Sensei will never forgive you for kicking me out of the only place I've called home. I was told in a dream to never speak because my voice is a curse. Now that you all have made me speak, I will go on my way and let you all suffer the wrath of darkness in your village.` He walked away and disappeared into the woods, never to be seen again. The lesson to be learned fro all this is to not let anybody make you do something you don't feel is right."

"Those villagers kept making him want to talk, but he couldn't because his voice was curse. If people made him speak, they would be cursed and he would get off scot free, giving him the chance to leave and never return."

"Stephen, if there's something you don't feel comfortable talking about, you don't have to tell me. I won't make you. There's nothing in this world that can make me want you to do something that doesn't feel right to talk about. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I understand. There's a lot of things I don't wanna talk about. That's why I lied to Kitty about everything I told her."

"Why would you lie to her? I thought you trusted Kitty."

"There are people in this world that you just can't trust. That's what an old friend of mine told me once."

"Well, Stephen, you're in the presence of the ninja. Don't you trust us?"

"I refuse to answer that question."

I sighed. "Alright, I won't make you do something that you don't wanna do. Remember that, okay?"

"Alright, I will."

"I got it!" Cole exclaimed.

"Wow, tell the whole world that you have something," Kitty said, "It would be hard considering that in this world you pretty much have nothing."

"I didn't mean I had something. I meant that I had an idea."

"What is it, Cole?" Sensei Wu asked.

"I figured out a way that we can get out of here," Cole said, "The best place to get out would be the window. Which one of them has a ladder?"

Sensei Wu looked out both windows. "The left one."

"Good. Now we need someone to go around the cabin and gather up all the bags and supplies."

"You guys should be lucky," Lloyd said, "When I heard what was going on downstairs, I placed everybody's supplies and packed everything up we all have and put them in the room next to this one."

"Well, that makes it easier," Kai said.

"Yeah, well, here's the problem," Jay said, "That means we all have to go in that one room, collect our stuff and climb out the window without ever getting caught by Pythor and his little army."

"Jay`s right," Garmadon said, "I think it's best to come up with a new idea."

"Thanks a lot, Lloyd," Cole said, "You ruined my idea by trying to help with anything."

"I was just trying to be helpful," Lloyd said.

"You just thought it would be so much easier than going with my plan."

"I actually thought it was."

Stephen tugged on the sleeve of my shirt. "Do they argue like this all the time?"

"Not all the time," I said, "There are times when they do, though. You'll understand when your older. When guys are best buddies, they will fight no matter what."

"Aren't the ninja kind of like brothers?"

"They are. There are times when they don't get along, but they understand the true meaning of what being brothers is like."

"I hope this doesn't last long."

I sighed. "Hopefully, it won't."

The ninja argued for the last ten minutes. Sensei Wu finally ended it when they heard noises coming from outside the door. Pythor had opened the door and took a look around the place. He didn't say anything. Stephen buried his face in my arm so he wouldn't have to look at Pythor. I wouldn't blame him at all. Pythor wasn't exactly the most interesting creature to look at. He left a moment later, slamming the door behind him. We sat in silence for a few minutes until Cole broke it once again.

"Okay, guys," Cole said, "Now that Pythor`s gone and during the amount of time that we wasted just sitting here in silence, I was able to think up of another plan."

"I hope it's a lot better than the last one you had," Kitty said.

"Do you have a problem with me or something?"

"No, I'm just bored. When I'm bored, I usually mess around with people."

"I hate to be rude, but in the world that we're living in right now, there's no time to be messing around," Jay said.

"Would it be wise for us all to stop interrupting Cole?" Sensei Wu asked, "Continue, Cole."

"Thank you, Sensei," Cole said, "As I said before, I have an idea. I think it would be best if a few of us snuck out of this room and get to the room right next to us. We could grab all the bags and run back in here before any of those slitherbrains can see us. After that, we climb out the window, climb in all the vehicles and get the heck out of here. What do you say, guys?"

"It depends on who you're planning to take with you into the room next door," Jay said.

"Of course I'm bringing you along, Jay. I was hoping Kai, Lloyd and Zane would join in as well."

"Well, as long as you still consider me as a part of the team, then I'm in."

"You're always considered a part of the team, Jay," Kai said, "Why are you saying that?"

"Well, I'm hoping that we could put everything in the past behind us."

"Say no more, Jay. Brothers always forgive brothers."

Stephen tugged on my sleeve again. "Are they gonna get along now?"

"As long as their brothers, nothing can ever split them apart," I said.

Hopefully I was right about that. All I can think about is getting out of here. I just hope that we do.

* * *

 **HELLO, EVERYONE.**

 **I HAVE RETURNED WITH A NEW CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY. I WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. PRAY FOR ME AND EVERYBODY IN MY STATE. WE ARE EXPERIENCING BAD STORMS AT THE MOMENT. IT SEEMS TO HAVE CALM A LITTLE IN THE AREA I LIVE IN, BUT SOME COUNTY'S ARE EXPERIENCING TORNADO WARNINGS. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET ONE IN THE CITY WHERE I LIVED, BUT IT QUICKLY PASSED US. RIGHT NOW, MY CITY IS GETTING A THUNDERSTORM. I'M JUST HOPING THIS IS ALL WE GET FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT.**

 **I'M SO HAPPY. I GOT A NEW PHONE FOR CHRISTMAS. SO COOL.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS, TOO. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	26. Sneaking Out

CHAPTER 25

SNEAKING OUT

 **COLE'S POV:**

I was hoping my life would work. Sure we would be getting ourselves in a big mess by running off while those things were out there, but what choice did we have? Pythor was taking control of the place we could call a temporary home and had everyone trapped inside one giant room with only a bed and a lamp that didn't work because thanks to this entire apocalypse, Ninjago had no power. At least I think this is an apocalypse. I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I hope we find a cure for it soon. Ever since this whole thing happened, I've been worried about the safety of my teammates. I've also been worried about my father. Whenever we get out of here, I'm hoping we could help search for my father in the process. Once we found him, I would be happy... and also less worried.

Everyone was getting prepared. The team had blow darts while Lloyd and I were the leaders and had dark shooters. The kind that Lloyd and I had looked a lot like laser guns, but it's still helpful to use. I checked to see that everyone had something on them. With that, we were right next to the door, ready to escape to the next room.

I looked at my team. "You guys ready?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Good. Here's the plan. We sneak out of this room as quietly as we can and not make any noises when we get into the next room. Once we get in, we grab the bags and travel back in here. Once we do that, we escape out the window, run to the cars and get the flip flop out of here."

"Have you made sure that the door in here isn't locked?" Lloyd asked.

I turned the doorknob quietly. It was actually unlocked. Pythor didn't lock it back when he came to check on us. For once, I haven't doubted myself. "Looks like you question has been answered. Come on."

I opened the door as quietly walked out of the room. The looked down both ways of the hall. It was clear to come out. Everyone else walked out of the room. Zane quietly shut the door back. I nodded at him for not blowing our cover. We made our way to the next room. I quietly opened the door and went inside. I didn't see anybody inside, so it was clear to enter. I motioned for everyone to come inside the room. Jay was the last one to come out. He closed the door as quietly as he could, but I heard a click come from it.

I turned to face him. "I thought I told you to be absolutely quiet."

"I'm doing the best I can," Jay said, "I'm not the quietest in the world, you know."

"For once you said something about yourself that was actually true."

"Can we get back to the plan?" Kai asked, "I would rather us not get caught."

"Okay, here's the next part of our plan," Cole said, "I'll stand next to the door to make sure nobody comes near us. You guys start gathering up the bags."

While the guys were preparing the bags, I was standing next to the door to make sure Pythor or one of his cronies didn't come anywhere near the room. Something happened while I was in the room. I could here individuals talking. The voice almost sounded like Pythor talking to another snake. In fact, it was. I don't know how I was listening in on his conversation, but I was.

"If I had known the ninja were in this house, I wouldn't have come with you, Pythor," a snake said, "I would rather have my head underground than look at a ninja`s face."

"It is best not to think about the past," Pythor said.

"I used to be the leader before you challenged me in the slither pit. If I had known you would be this kind of leader, I would've never let you and I fight to see who would be better."

"I am a better leader. Just because you and the ninja had a bit of a... shall we say... unreliable way of thinking, doesn't mean that you should hate them for the rest of your life."

"Yes, it does. Besides, you hate them as much as I do."

"It seems that I do. Don't worry, my good friend. We won't have the ninja as company for long."

"What are you talking about?"

"Inside the backyard, I have a dozen of those wanderers chained up. We'll place the ninja and their pathetic allies out there to get munched up on by those things. After that, they will never be able to stop us again."

"I guess I was wrong about you, Pythor. You're not as bad of a leader as I thought you were."

"I'm glad you finally think so."

I took my head off the door and stepped back, almost falling flat on my back. I would've fell if my back didn't hit against the wall. The guys looked at me like they thought I was crazy. I suppose I looked the part, but I sure wasn't acting it. I was breathing heavily after everything I just heard.

I looked at everyone. "Don't just stand there with those faces of yours. Get the bags and let's get back to the others. And hurry it up, will you."

The guys finally gathered all the bags. I was the only one empty handed, so I had to open the door and leave last. I quietly closed the door, but it still made the click sound. I guess Jay didn't mean to make that noise on purpose. No matter. We were in a hurry. I opened the door to the room every one was in. I closed it quietly to make sure nobody could hear it. I almost felt as though I was hyperventilating once we were back in the room. Now all we had to do was escape.

"Okay, guy, we need to get out of here now," I said, "There's no time for dilly dallying. We gotta go. Let's not just stand around. I'll go out last while I get everybody else outside. Everyone take one bag at a time. Sensei Wu and Garmadon, you guys are up first."

Garmadon left out first while Sensei Wu just looked at me. "Is there something you need to talk about after we finish our escape?"

"Now's not the time to talk, Sensei. Let's get this show on the road and get out of here as fast as we can."

Sensei did as I said and left. Pretty soon, everybody else was outside. I was all that was left. The only bags that were left was a backpack and suitcase. Grabbing them both, I rush down the stairs and ran to everyone else.

"Okay, is everybody here?" I asked.

"Nobody seems to be missing," Sensei Wu said.

"Wait a minute," Kitty said, "Where's Stephen?"

"I'm over here," Stephen said, "There are wanderers in the backyard. They seem to be chained up."

"That's what I was meaning to tell you guys," I said, "I was overhearing a conversation that Pythor was having with another snake. He said that he would feed us to those chained up wanderers so they wouldn't have to deal with us anymore."

"How were you able to hear Pythor talking to somebody else?" Kai asked, "Were they in the hallway?"

"No, they were downstairs. I'm not sure how I was able to hear them from that spot upstairs. All I did was press my head against the door so I could hear if they were coming towards the door. Instead I got that information."

"Maybe it was a coincidence," Pixal said.

"I don't think hearing someone from downstairs to hearing them from upstairs was a coincidence," I said, "It's like I have a gift to hear from a distance or something."

"Are you sure they weren't yelling?" Nya asked.

"I didn't hear anything from downstairs," Kai said.

"If the rest of us didn't hear it, then maybe it wasn't a coincidence," Lloyd said.

"We will talk about this at another time," Sensei Wu said, "Right now, we need to get out of here."

We ran to the vehicles, opening up the trunks as silently as we could. I was starting to go out of my mind. Everyone was starting to get inside the four vehicles that we had. Jay got inside his truck along with Nya with Kitty and Stephen climbing in the backseat. Kai climbed in the trunk, placing the bags inside of it. Garmadon, Misako, Sensei Wu climbed inside the Mega Sonic Radar. Zane and Pixal climbed on the motorcycle that we stoled from the side of a building. Lloyd and I would be traveling in the ultrasonic radar. Somehow I was in my own world because I slammed the trunk too hard. I heard something from inside the house.

"Did you hear that?" Pythor asked.

"Here what?" said a snake.

"It sounded like something's coming from outside."

"What do you want us to do about it?"

"Go upstairs and make sure those pathetic ninja are still inside that room. I'll go outside and see what's going on."

"Yes, Pythor."

I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Cole, everyone else is ready to get going. Let's hit the road."

"We better get going," I said, "Pythor is making his way out here. Let's go."

"How did you manage to escape?" Pythor asked, "I thought the door was locked?"

"Move out," I said. Everyone commanded me and drove out onto the road.

I sighed in relief. We were finally away from that cabin filled with slitherbrains. Of course we had to travel through the outside world as they were filled with wanderers at this point of time, but I'm sure we would be safe. As long as we found a safe place. I started hearing another engine from behind the vehicle Lloyd and I were in. I looked behind me to see what I was hoping not to see. Pythor and his gang of snakes. They were right on our tail.

* * *

 **HEY, GUYS. HAVE YOU BEEN MISSING THIS STORY? I BET YOU HAVE.**

 **THIS TIME I DID COLE'S POINT OF VIEW. I ONLY SAID THAT NYA WOULD BE NARRATING ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF THIS STORY. THE OTHER'S WILL HAVE THEIR MOMENT TO SHINE.**

 **COLE MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF GIFT. HE COULD HEAR PYTHOR ALL THE WAY FROM UPSTAIRS. THE OTHERS COULDN'T HERE PYTHOR, BUT COLE COULD. THIS MUST BE A PRETTY GOOD GIFT TO HAVE.**

 **I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. WHAT WILL PYTHOR DO?**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	27. Battle Drive From Pythor

CHAPTER 26

BATTLE DRIVE FROM PYTHOR

 **NYA`S POV:**

I was sitting next to Jay in the passenger seat as he was driving like the wind to get away from the cabin. Well, he wasn't driving too fast considering that he had to stick with the other vehicles so we wouldn't get separated. Kitty and Stephen were sitting in the back. Stephen was holding onto Kitty for dear life, as usual. I didn't blame him or anything. He must be pretty scared of those things to keep of close watch on them. I leaned my head back against the seat. I looked behind me to make sure Kai was still in the trunk and in one piece. He was, thank goodness. I suppose he didn't wanna be trapped like a sardine in the back, especially when Kitty was sitting back here. I felt a hand being placed on mine. I looked to see Jay looking at me. I smiled. I haven't felt his touch in a while.

I sighed. "I'm glad we got out of there. I like living there, but I just can't stand being anywhere that close to Pythor."

"Same here," Jay said, "Hey, thanks for getting back my truck. If anything, it's best to have an extra vehicle on hand."

"Anytime, Jay. I didn't know why you hadn't taken it with you when all of this happened."

"It just didn't cross my mind. The only thing that was on my mind was going back for you, but Kai wouldn't let me. Believe me, I tried to persuade him, but there's no way to change your brother's mind."

I chuckled. "I've tried doing it dozens of times. It doesn't work."

Silence came up until Kitty broke it. "Do you think Cole is overhearing our conversation?"

"Nobody know," Jay said, "He might still be trying to get used to his gift."

A crash was heard from behind us. We turned our heads to see what the commotion was about. We looked to see that Pythor had found us. He was driving in a car with his snake minions. I looked at Jay. "They've caught us!"

"Don't worry," Jay said, "If they start attacking, we'll attack back."

I heard a clash of metal against metal coming from behind the truck. I turned around to see that Pythor was shooting metal balls at us. Wherever Pythor got those metal balls at, I'll never know, but it was sure to leave a huge dent in the rear end of the car. I started worrying about my brother, but my worrying lessened when I saw that he was shooting blow darts at the snakes. I wasn't sure how that was gonna help us, but at least Kai was trying.

The radio in the truck started going crazy. I don't remember seeing it do that before, but it did. Jay turned the knob to get a better signal while he started speaking to it. "Hello, who is this? Over."

"Jay, it's Cole," Cole said through the radio, "We've got a bit of a situation on our hands. Over."

"I know. Do you have a plan? Over."

"Not really. The best we can do is keep our eyes on the road and drive as fast as we can. Don't worry about the speed limit. It's not like we're gonna get pulled over or anything. Over."

"Don't think I don't know that. Over."

"I'll let you know when I've thought up of a plan. Over."

"Roger that. Over and out." Jay turned off the radio and continued driving.

I gave him a serious look even though he wasn't looking at me. "How were you able to create a radio to talk to the others while you were in your car?"

"It wasn't that hard actually," Jay said, "It took me a few day to create it. Then I had to spend an extra day installing it in my car. I'd figured that if I was ever in my car and the others had to contact me, I'd have a handy radio in my pocession."

"Is there a reason why you never told me about this?"

"Funny story, actually. I was gonna tell you, but it just never came to mind."

A crashing sound was heard from behind us, along with a voice we were all familiar with. "Surrender now or I'll force you to!"

"Now's not the time for chit chat," Kitty said, "We need to speed things up."

"You read my mind," Jay said, pushing hard on the gas pedal.

Jay was going over eighty miles an hour. I knew he and the others went fast, but I didn't know they could go this fast. It's probably because I've never been in the same vehicle with all of them before. I was in the same car as Jay and he's never sped across the road like this before. Crashing sounds continued to be heard. I looked behind me to check on Kai. He was still doing okay. He wasn't shooting darts anymore, but he was still well. Pythor and his gang were reading our minds and speeding up as well.

"I don't think speeding up did us any good," I said, "It's just bringing Pythor closer."

"Don't worry," Jay said, "I have a plan. Turn the radio to channel seven." I did as Jay said and twisted the knob to seven. I turned up the volume as well. Jay slowed down and began speaking. "This is Jay speaking. Can everyone else hear me? Over."

"We read you loud and clear," Sensei Wu said.

"Lloyd and I are all ears," Cole said.

"Pixal and I are connected," said Zane.

"I can read you," Kai said.

"Good," Jay said, "Listen up, everyone. I have a plan, but you need to go with me on this. Sensei Wu, do you see a red lever inside the ultrasonic radar?"

"Yes, but what good will that do?" Sensei asked.

"Trust me on this, Sensei. I know what I'm doing." Jay flipped the radio to four. "Zane, do you see a knob on the radio of your motorcycle?"

"Affirmative," Zane said.

"Good. I need you to twist it to yellow."

"What will happen when I do?"

"Don't worry. You'll see." Jay turned the radio to four. "Cole, do you see a line of switches on the right side? They should all be blinking red."

"Yeah, I see them," Cole said.

"Flip all of them until they're all green."

"What's gonna happen after that?"

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Jay flipped the radio to ten. "Is everyone familiar with the plan?"

"Yes," everyone said.

"Good," Jay said, "I'll speak to you all in a moment. Over and out." Jay turned off the radio.

"What are you planning, Jay?" I asked.

"Trust me. This plan's gonna work. Turn the radio to three." I turned it to three while Jay started speaking. "Kai, can you read me? Over."

"I read you," Kai said, "Over."

"I just wanna warn you that we're about to go on a high ride. Hang on tight back there. Over."

"Understood. Over."

"Over and out." Jay turned the radio off and looked at me. "You ready for this?"

"I guess," I said, "I just wish I knew what we were doing."

"Don't worry. You're about to find out." Jay turned his head. "You two ready back there?"

"I guess we are," Kitty said.

"Let's do this," Jay said.

A crashing sound was heard again, but this time it sounded more like a bomb. I looked to see that Pythor was shooting explosives this time.

"We need to hurry up with your plan," I said.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Jay said. Static was heard from the radio. Jay turned it to four. "Who is this? Over."

"Jay, this is Cole and Lloyd," Cole said, "The back tires of our vehicle are on fire. I don't know how much longer she can take. Over."

"Flip all the switches now. You don't have much time before that thing explodes. You need to escape from that ticking time bomb. Over."

"Understood. Over."

"Over and out." Jay turned off the radio once more. "We all need to get out of here. Hold on tight, everyone."

I watched as Jay twisted the knob quickly and out came a red lever. He placed his hand on it and suddenly pulled it from up to down. What happened next was a surprise to me. The truck lost its wheels and started to lift up out of the air. As we continued going higher, I looked down to see Pythor raising his fist up high in the air. He must have been pretty mad to see that we all got away.

Once we were safely high in the air, I tested a hand on Jay`s shoulder. "How come you never told me about this?"

"A guy's gotta have his secrets," Jay said, winking at me.

I giggled as he placed his eyes back in front of him. I rested my head against the headrest of the passenger seat. I felt as though I was in an airplane instead of a car. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it feels so good to be in the air instead of the ground. I feel safe up here. To be honest, I feel even more safe when I'm with Jay.

* * *

 **LET'S FACE IT. WE ALL KNOW THAT PYTHOR IS NEVER GONNA DIE. HOW CAN ANYTHING KILL THAT SNAKE?**

 **LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. NYA AND JAY`S LOVE IS GROWING STRONGER. AT LEAST IT IS IN MY STORY. LET'S FACE IT. THEIR PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER AND WE ALL KNOW IT. WELL, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT THINK THAT, BUT SOME OF YOU DO.**

 **ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS UNTIL THE NEW YEAR. I HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS IN MIND. TO WRITE MORE AWESOME STORIES ON FANFICTION, TO FINALLY PUBLISH A NOVEL AND GET A COUPLE OF SCHOLARSHIPS. IT'S GOOD TO THINK ABOUT COLLEGE. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE A JUNIOR.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER. THERE'S MORE TO COME.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	28. A Visitor From The Woods

CHAPTER 27

A VISITOR FROM THE WOODS

 **NYA`S POV:**

It's been at least a few hours since we escaped from Pythor. We were all in the sky, traveling to who knows where. The sun was setting outside. It was a beautiful view from this high up. Jay was still flying, but he looked awfully tired. Probably because it's been a pretty long day. I knew I had forgotten a few things back home. All the clothes that were hanging to dry must have still Ben out there drying in the sun. The next time we see them, they won't be fit to wear anymore. I decided to push that out of my mind and think of something else. I was wondering what we would do at this point. Where were we going to go? Was there a place to hide out at a time like this? At this point, I'm not so sure.

I hadn't noticed that a hand was placed on mine. That hand only belonged to one person. I looked at Jay, who kept his eyes on the sky, but took a peek a me once. He sighed. "Having those thoughts?"

"What thoughts?" I asked.

"About where were gonna go from here. A new home. You know, those kind of thoughts. Don't worry. I'm having those same thoughts, too."

"Where are we gonna go? Do you know of a place where we can go to hunker down at for a while?"

"The only place I can think of is my parents junkyard, but it's probably filled with wanderers by now." I heard him make a long sigh.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, since you're concern, I happen to be worried about my parents. I'm not sure where they are or what they're doing right now. Either they were able to escape or they... well... you know. I didn't think I could finish that sentence unless I finished it with something else."

"I understand how worried you are. Believe me, I'm worried, too. Your parents feel a lot like family to me."

"My parents feel like family to a lot of people. No matter what bad situations you might be in, they're always there to brighten up your day."

"Did they always say that?"

"Yeah. Lots of times."

I sighed, looking out the windshield to see that the sun was beginning to sink lower. "Do you think we should land for the night?"

"We probably should. I don't want anyone falling asleep while they're flying." He turned the knob on the radio to ten. "Everyone, this is Jay. Do you read me? Over."

"We read you," everyone said.

"I think it's best if we land for the night," Jay said, "Help me find a fenced up empty lot somewhere. That's all. Over and out." Jay turned off the radio.

I looked at Jay. "That's all you had to say? Find a fenced up empty lot?"

"It's been a long day," Jay said, "I'm just ready to hit the hay. Once I get to bed, I'll be happy the next morning."

Once we all found an empty lot that was fenced up to the best of its ability, we all landed there. Once we climbed out onto the ground, we started setting up camp. It was the best that we had until we could find something else. We only had three tents and only two of them were big enough for at least six people. Nobody would get their own space. We'd have little privacy wherever we went. We only had five bags filled with food and water. Sooner or later we would have to stock up. Tonight would be a light dinner. Now that I've mentioned it, every meal would be light. It was only until we found a place to go. No big deal.

We were all sitting around a fire. Dinner had been served and finished with. The elders were sitting in at the head of everyone, as usual. Zane and Pixal were sitting next to each other. Kai, Cole and Lloyd were sitting the opposite side from the elders. Kitty and Stephen sat next to each other next to the three guys. Stephen was sleeping in Kitty's arms. Jay and I were sitting next to each other near the elders. We were all silent for the time, looking at the fire and enjoying the sounds the night had to offer. I heard some of the sounds were from the wanderers, but those were the kind of sounds I could pretend that they were night creatures. This empty fenced up lot was in the middle of the woods. So far I haven't seen a wanderer, but if they did come anywhere near us, I knew that we would be safe.

The silence that we were all enjoying was broken by Cole. "Sensei, we need to talk."

"We shall talk in the morning, Cole," Sensei Wu said.

"But Sensei-"

Sensei raised a hand up. "Buts are for sitting. I know what you are concerned with. We will talk about it in the morning. Let us relax for now."

"Way to ruin the silence, Cole," Kitty said.

"Okay, is there a reason why we decided to let her come along with us?" Cole asked.

"She wanted to come along with us," I said.

"I can understand why you brought the kid, but she's just out of control."

"The only person that's becoming out of control is you, Cole," Kai said, "Now sit down and stop ruining the silence for everyone."

Cole's eyes widened as he sat down. I don't think Kai had ever made sure Cole stopped talking without him talking back, but tonight there was no arguing about anything. We sat in silence for a bit longer until we all heard the sounds of a Bush rustling. Zane stood UN and removed his blow dart from his pocket.

"Don't move, everyone," Zane said.

"There is nothing to worry about, Zane," Pixal said, placing her hand on his arm, "As long as we are fenced up, we are safe."

Zane sat back down with his blow dart remaining in his hands. "I suppose you are right. I worry more than I ever have before. There is something I would like for you to have." Zane took out one of his dart shooters from his bag and handed it to Pixal. "If we ever separate, I want you to have this with you at all times. No matter what happens, always have it with you."

"Thank you, Zane. I do not know what to say." Pixal sighed. "I do not know how to use a dart shooter. I am not trained to use a weapon. It was never programmed into me. I was programmed to fight with my body motions, not with a weapon."

"I will teach you how. You will know how to use it in no time. Once we find somewhere else to go."

"Awww, isn't that sweet?" A voice came from close by. We looked to see someone with a hood over their head. Their voice sounded feminine, so it had to be a girl. She removed her hood and started climbing over the fence. Once she was on our side, we saw her face a lot better. She had hair that was an inch away from her shoulder that was also curl up. Her eyes were a medium blue. Her red lipstick was thick on her lips. Her smile was big, though. "I don't think I've ever seen love as strong as yours."

"Why hello there," Cole said, "Who are you?"

"Why how kind of you to ask," the girl said, walking over to Cole, " _Me llamo_ Carol."

"Say what now?"

"That's Spanish for my name is Carol. Although a lot of people in my hometown refer to me as _la bonita senorita._ That means the beautiful woman."

"Well, you sure are beautiful." When Cole said that, Carol still smiled, but her face smirked a bit. Cole did his best to find what he was trying to say. "I mean that as a compliment."

"That's really nice of you to say."

"One question, though," Kai said, "Where did you come from and how we're you able to find us?"

"That's two _preguntas_ in the same sentence," Carol said.

"Two what?"

"It's the Spanish word for question. Listen, I saw something flying in the sky and I came out here to see where it came from. When I saw the fire out here, I knew it had to be you guys."

"It's kind of obvious that there sitting on the other side of the lot," Jay said, pointing to the vehicles.

Carol giggled. "I see them. Well, now that I found the mysterious flying cars, I guess I'll be on my way."

"Where are you going?" Cole asked.

"I'm going back home. I'm pretty sure my _hermanos_ are starting to worry."

"Your who?"

"My brothers. I have three of them. They're all older than me." She paused. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind me staying out here all night, though. Mind if I could stay here with you all?"

"You may stay with us on one condition," Sensei Wu said, "We would like for you to lead us to your humble home."

"Well, you seem to have nowhere else to go," Carol said, "I'm in. As long as I get to ride in one of those flying cars one day."

"You've got yourself a deal," Cole said.

Carol joined us next to the fireplace. Cole wanted her to sit next to him, but she placed herself next to Kitty. I have a feeling that Cole is about to find the love of his life. I think he already has. Although he and Jay were fighting over who should have me, I decided to stick with Jay. After all, Cole just likes to show off. Jay, on the other hand, was different. He actually cares and shows me respect. Plus, he's really funny once you get to know him. There can never be another Jay.

* * *

 **YOU'RE RIGHT, NYA. THERE CAN NEVER BE ANOTHER JAY.**

 **COOL. THE NINJA JUST MET A PRETTY SPANISH GIRL AND I THINK COLE HAS THE HOTS FOR HER. I'M JUST SAYING.**

 **OH, MY GOSH. THE NEW YEAR IS COMING SOON. I CAN'T WAIT. WELL, I GUESS THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK OF TO SAY. I'VE STILL GOT THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK OFF BEFORE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	29. Carols Home

CHAPTER 28

CAROL`S HOME

 **NYA`S POV:**

The dream came back to me last night. This time, I was back on the mountain, looking up at the sky. The only thing I saw was a flock of birds flying off towards the distance. I squinted my eyes as a at of light hit me in the face. Coming out from that light was a dragon that looked as if it were painted gold. Sitting on that dragon was a ninja wearing a golden gi. I was wondering if it could be Lloyd. I waved up to him and called out his name, but he only waved back and didn't say anything. He flew off in the distance. I started to call him back, but he didn't hear me. Pretty soon I saw dark clouds covering the entire bright blue sky. Only a shade of shown came down upon me as I saw a dragon with a darker color flying down towards the ground. I couldn't see the owner of the dragon. All I knew is that it was coming straight towards me. That's when I shot my eyes open.

I looked to see that I was still in the tent. I sat up in my sleeping bag and looked to see that Kitty was still sleeping with Stephen in her arms. In between the both of us was Carol, who was still sleeping. I had remembered that she was going to take us to her home today. Now was a good time to wake her up.

I walked over to Carol and shook her a bit. She shot up instantly, her eyes already opened. " _Buenos dias, senoritas."_

I gave her a confused look. "What?"

"I said good morning, girls. I really need to teach you guys how to speak Spanish." She jumped up and shook Kitty awake. "Come on, _gato_. It's time to get up."

Kitty sat up, giving Carol a look. "What did you just call me?"

"I called you _gato_ ," Carol said, "It's Spanish for cat. I figured that if your name was Kitty, I would call you by the Spanish name."

"I would rather you call me by my first name and nothing more. Now leave me alone so I can get a few more minutes of sleep."

"There's no more time for sleep. Come on. Don't fall back into dreamland. If you want me to take you to my home, we need to be cooperative and be there bright and early."

"Come on, Carol," I said, leading Carol out of the tent, "We'll wake Kitty up when it's breakfast time. Besides, Stephen is still fast asleep."

"Oh, come on," Carol said, "I'm up and energized on this beautiful morning. Why isn't she?"

"Some people are different than others. Why are you so hyperactive this morning?"

"I'm always hyperactive. That's just the type of person I am. I always make it so difficult for my _hermanos_ to take care of me. Just don't give me anything with over forty grams of sugar and I'll be just fine."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Everybody was already up and at them once I started cooking breakfast. Cole was hoping to have the chance to sit next to Carol, but Misako beat him to it. I can only imagine what's going on inside Cole's head right about now. I bet Misako`s gonna ask Carol if she already had a boyfriend or something so Cole doesn't get the wrong idea. Always leave it to Misako to make sure people don't make mistakes in life. I'm pretty sure she's been through it herself.

Pretty soon we were all inside the flying vehicles and inside the fence that was Carol`s home. We knew she told us that she had a home, but we didn't realize that it would be bigger than we imagine. We hopped out of the vehicles, staring at the house in awe. Even Stephen was staring at it like there was no tomorrow. Carol stood in front of all of us.

"Okay, guys, listen up," Carol said, "My brothers can be kind of stingy when it comes to me leaving at night and not coming back home the next morning. They are gonna be surprised when they see that I brought people home, but they're not gonna be happy. So just lay low and let me do all the talking. I'll handle things from here. Oh, and if we start talking in Spanish, it'll be my brother's idea. They'll know you won't understand it."

We all walked over to the front door of the house. Carol knocked on it and it automatically opened by the help of three men who all looked to be about twenty years old. They all had black hair, but their style of hair was different. The boy that opened the door had a mop head. His eyes were blue. In fact, all the boys had blue eyes. The boy standing behind him had hair almost like Lloyd's, except his stopped behind the middle of his ears. The third on had hair that only a geek would want. He was wearing glasses over his eyes. They were all alike, but they had different ways of looking.

The boy that opened the door stared Carol with stern eyes. "¿ _Carol, donde tener tu estar?"_

Carol looked at him. " _Estar perdido en bosque."_ She took Cole's hand and led him up to her brother. " _El salvar mi de vagabungo. Deber lo mi vida."_

He took a look at Cole and a moment later motioned for us all to come inside. I stopped Carol as I placed my hand on her shoulder. "What did you say to him?"

"I told him this," Carol said, "I was lost in the woods. Cole saved me from a wanderer. I owe him my life. That's what I told him. I'm pretty good at translating from Spanish to English. My mother can speak some English, but not much. That's why if we're in an English speaking place, I help translate for her."

"One question, though. Why did you use Cole for that little talk?"

"I guess it's because he's so strong and... normal. I don't know why I did."

"Let's just go inside."

The inside of the house was even more beautiful than the outside. The living room was just covered in paintings and pictures of what looked like the entire family. Two couches, three chairs and a few rocking chairs sat in the midst of the room. If a guest were to stay for the night, they would definitely stay in the living room. I actually sat in one of the chairs and it was so comfortable. I was just happy to be sitting in something so soft and fuzzy. I actually felt warm in it. I didn't need a blanket to sleep in it.

Everyone else placed themselves on the furniture as Carol sat in a chair while her brothers sat on the couch that was nearest to her. The one with the mopped head looked at Carol.

Carol nodded and looked at us. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you all to my _hermanos_. The one with the shaggy hair is Gregory. The one in the middle is Wallace and the one wearing glasses is William. They look alike because their triplets. _Mi hermanos_ , I want you all to meet the ninja. I'm sure you know them all by now."

"We don't know a couple of them, but we can do introductions later," Gregory said, "How were you all able to find our home?"

"We were forced to leave the cabin that was known as our home," I said.

"Who drove you out?"

I didn't want them to know that snakes were out and about, so we had to create a lie. "We were chased out by a group of people that threatened to throw us out with the wanderers if we didn't do as they said."

Gregory eyed me closely, but was following me up on my story. "Go on."

"They had wanderers chained up in the backyard. Dozens of them. We didn't even know they had them. The leader of the group locked us up inside one of the bedrooms."

"How were you able to escape?"

"We're the ninja," Kai said, "Does that answer your question?"

"I wanna know how you really got out of there," Gregory said.

"Let's not start an argument here, boys," I said, turning my head to Gregory, "Ignore my brother. His anger can get the best of him sometimes."

Gregory`s eyes were set on my brother's before he turned back to me. "I see. I can understand that he is the master of fire and as the master of fire, he tends to become angry. The heat rises through him so high that his own blood pressure can get out of control. Continue on."

"We were able to climb out a window and make it back to our vehicles. Luckily they didn't notice we escaped. I'm sure they do now, but they plan to do nothing about it."

"I see where this is going. So you guys were lost out in the woods and that guy right there heard Carol screaming in the woods while she was being chased by a wanderer." He pointed to Cole as he continued. "You took her back to your campsite for the night and brought her back here the next morning. I must say that we should thank you all for bringing her home. She's basically the only family we have now. Our parents were out the day this all happened and we haven't seen them since."

"Where did they go?"

"They went to a hotel with some friends of theirs in Chitow City," Carol said.

"Oh." My head was swimming around just wanting to ask one simple question. "I know this is a tough question to ask, but we need a new place to stay. Do you mind if we can stay here with all of you?"

"What's in it for us?" Gregory asked.

"We saved your sister's life. I think you owe us one."

Gregory sighed and leaned his back on the couch. He sat there for a moment, probably thinking about what he should say. He finally nodded his head and stood up. "I've made a decision."

* * *

 **I WONDER WHAT CAROL`S BROTHER'S DECISION IS. I HOPE I GOT THE SPANISH PART RIGHT. IF NOT, PLEASE CORRECT ME. I'M STILL LEARNING SPANISH.**

 **GUESS WHAT TOMORROW IS? THAT'S RIGHT. ITS THE NEW YEAR. 2016 IS STARTING UP. THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE SO AWESOME. I JUST KNOW IT.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY. DON'T FORGET THAT I'M POSTING THE STORY THAT CONTINUES MY FIRST SERIES. THE INTRODUCTION WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW NIGHT.**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	30. The Decision

CHAPTER 29

THE DECISION

 **NYA`S POV:**

Gregory had said he made a decision. We were all sitting around, waiting to see what it was. Gregory sighed, rubbing his fingers through his hair. He got up and stood next to the unlit fireplace, placing his hands around his eyes. I started tapping my foot on the floor nervously. Jay saw this and placed his arm around me. I placed my head on his shoulder, seizing that he's worried, but he doesn't want me to worry so much. Gregory saw this and sat back down on the couch. His eyes looked at all of us. He stood back up a moment later. I looked at Carol, who looked at her brother with a confused expression. Gregory was in the midst of the room, looking at all of us before deciding to speak.

"I've made my decision," Gregory said, "Seeing all of you and knowing that you're not begging is kind of the weirdest thing I've ever seen, but since you're all the ninja, I don't really see a problem with you all staying here. You're all welcomed to stay here for as long as you need to."

We all cheered at the news. I was happy to see that we had a new place to go. We all went outside and gathered our supplies from the vehicles. There weren't many rooms in the house, even though it was huge, so some of us had to share. I decided to stick with Kitty since she was the only girl my age in the group. Well, adding Pixal, but she doesn't usually sleep at night. We had told her if she needed to, she could rest in our room, but it may never happen.

I started unpacking my things, still thinking about the laundry that I left behind back at the cabin. That shouldn't matter. Everybody should have a change of clothes. At least I'm hoping that they do. Wearing the same clothes for a week would not be something I would count as a nice smell. We were in the middle of an apocalypse. Who would have so much stuff during a situation like this? That was a rhetorical question.

I heard a knock on the door. I went to open it, revealing Kitty in the doorway. She chuckled lightly. "I thought I should knock before I entered. Mind if I come in?"

"Well, we're both sharing the room together, so come in," I said.

Kitty looked around the placed as I closed the door. She plopped down on the bed. "Wow, this room looks as comfortable as this bed. Where's the second bed?"

"There's only one bed per room. I don't think they were expecting so many people to come stay with them."

"So what's the sleeping arrangement? We gotta figure out who sleeps where."

"I think you and Stephen should take the bed." I took a plastic bag that was unopened out of my pack. "I figured this would come in handy."

"What is it?"

"It's an air bed. In a situation like this, you gotta have on of these. At least I'll have a comfortable place to sleep at."

"How are you gonna blow it up?"

"These things come with a air pump. If anything, you need to make sure they come with everything."

"I don't know how you ended up becoming so prepared for all this." She hesitated and I could've sworn that I heard her pick something up from off the floor. "Does this rose belong to you?"

I looked to see what she was talking about. She was holding the rose that Jay had placed at the hospital when I was packing to leave. "That does belong to me. If I ever do drop that, make sure that it's placed back in my hands." I took it from her hands.

"Who gave it to you, anyway?"

"Jay. He gave it to me."

"Is he your boyfriend or something? You two seem to always cuddle with each other. Not all the time, but it's only when you're being romantic or whatever."

"Yes, Jay is my boyfriend. I just can't stand to be away from him."

"How long have you guys been dating?"

"About two years."

"Two years? Hasn't he made plans to ever propose to you?"

"Propose to me? I don't think he's ready to do that yet. Especially not in a situation like this."

"Who says he can't propose to you in the middle of an apocalypse? In almost every movie I've seen, a lot of couple propose to each other in the middle of an ending world."

"I don't think Jay and I are that kind of couple."

"You never know, Nya. You never know."

I sighed. "You know, since we're talking about boys, why don't I ask you if you like my brother or not."

"Are you asking if I like Kai?"

"Well, I really made it into a question, but whatever floats your boat. So, do you like him or not?"

"Why are we even talking about this? If we keep speaking, then we won't have enough time to unpack everything. If you don't finish, then we won't be done by dinnertime and I must say that I am really hungry and now you've made me in the mood for chocolate. Thank you very much, Nya."

"Oh, so you do like my brother?"

"Did I say that I liked your bother? Did you hear those words come out of my mouth?" I only laughed at her reaction. She sighed. "That's what I thought."

A knock came on the door. I went over to see Carol looking at me with a smile on her face. "I just wanted to see if you girls were settling in okay."

"Don't worry, Carol," I said, "We're both fine. We were just talking about things."

"Well, I just wanted to tell you guys that my brothers will be going out tomorrow to gather supplies."

"Won't those things still be out there?"

"Tomorrow is the last day, but since we have more guest than we thought, they're going out to collect more. They plan to ask the boys if they can go with them."

"Will they not allow you to go with them?"

"No, they won't. As my older brothers, they do whatever they can to protect me, as you can see. I just went out because I saw the lights come from your flying vehicles."

Something came to my mind. "How did your brother Gregory know that we were the ninja? Nobody told him and not a lot of people know about us."

"I don't know. I do know that he watches the news all the time. I guess that's how he knew."

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering. I suppose you're kind of busy, so I guess I'll leave you to it. I'll see you at dinner."

Before I could walk back into the room, Carol grabbed my arm and closed the door behind me. "Do you mind if I could tell you something? It's really personal and I don't think I'm ready for my brothers to figure it out yet."

"I guess you can. What is it?"

"You know that guy name Cole, right?"

"Well, I've pretty much known him ever since my brother became a ninja. Why are you asking about him?"

"Don't tell anybody else that I told you this, but I think that I may have a bit of a crush on Cole."

"A bit of a crush?"

"Well, I have to admit that I have a giant crush on him. He's such a _hombre guapo._ The most greatest good looking man I've ever seen. Every time I look at him, I feel so warm inside that it makes me sweat. He's just that hot."

"Whoa. You've got a really big crush on him. I have to say that this is unexpected. I wasn't really expecting for you to say that."

"I know. I overheard your boyfriend talking to your brother about how he'll never forget the time when he and Cole were in one of the biggest battles over which guy you should be with. In the end, you figured that it should be Jay. I must say that you and Jay are made for each other. I'm really glad that you and Cole didn't end up together. I think that Cole and I would be a perfect match, if you know what I mean. Cole just seems really handsome and sweet while I'm just usually a chatterbox and everybody says I'm beautiful which is technically true. You and Jay on the other hand are a perfect match for each other. I bet you guys have a lot in common with each other. You both like to invent things, go out on romantic dates, save people and all that. If I were to end up with Cole, I'd say that the both of us would love to go out and eat, watch movies and all that. We would have a wonderful time together, if you know what I mean. Do you know what I'm saying?"

"At this moment, I'm really glad Jay`s not much of a chatterbox anymore."

"Oh, please, Jay and I would never consider being a couple."

"Well, it was nice talking to you, but I really should finish unpacking. I won't keep you long. See you at dinner." I went back inside the room. "I've never heard anyone talk that much in my whole life."

"I thought your boyfriend used to talk a lot," Kitty said.

"Why do I even talk to you about anything?"

I sighed and continued unpacking. The people here may be a bit crazy, but at least we had a place to stay at. For the time being. I'm sure we're gonna get kicked out soon. Well, I hope we don't. If that happens, I don't know what we'll do.

* * *

 **WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A CHATTERBOX IN THE GROUP. EVERYBODY, MEET CAROL THE CHATTERBOX.**

 **IF YOU DIDN'T READ MY LITTLE AUTHOR NOTE FOR MY NEW STORY KNOWN AS LLOYD'S STORY, I WILL BE POSTING A CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY EVERY SUNDAY. JUST GIVING YOU A HEAD'S UP.**

 **I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	31. A Long Dinner

CHAPTER 30

A LONG DINNER

 **NYA`S POV:**

I was sitting on one of the beds trying to relax my legs. I'm not sure how I'm gonna survive in this house. We've moved in with three triplet brothers that are very overprotective of their sister and she's a huge chatterbox. My head started to ache. I guess I still haven't gotten over that disk hitting the back of my head. I laid down on the bed. The pillows were very soft and cozy. It felt as though I were sleeping on a cloud. My stomach was eating me alive. I haven't eaten anything since this morning. I started smelling something good downstairs. I hopped off the bed and ran to the living room. The only person I saw was Sensei Wu sitting on the couch, drinking his usual cup of tea. The scent continued to waft through the air. The smell was so good. It made my stomach wanna eat itself.

"Be patient, Nya," Sensei Wu said, "It will be ready shortly."

I looked at Sensei. A question popped up in my head. "Sensei, is there a reason why you all left me in the city?"

Sensei sighed. "I don't know. To be honest, I would've rather you be out of the city than still be in it. Everyone said it was your brother's idea."

"I think I need to have a talk with Kai. Everyone says that, but should I believe it?"

"It is your choice whether or not you want to believe it. If you think it is true, then it is. If you think it is not, don't think about it."

"Okay, I guess I can take your word for it."

"Haven't you always?"

Carol came into the living room. She smiled when she saw me. "Nya, hello, it's great to see you again. I bet you guys are hungry. Let me call the others." Carol went to the side of the stairwell and rang a bell. "Dinner time, _amigos!_ Come and get it!"

We were all downstairs and into the dining room in less than a minute. I'm pretty sure everyone was hungry. There wasn't a huge amount of food. It wasn't a buffet, but it was something. There was some turkey and mash potatoes, but that was it. It looks like they were trying to save up their food. I wouldn't blame them. In the middle of an apocalypse, you have to eat to survive. That means grab all that you can. We all sat down and begin filling our plate. We were so hungry, we didn't even think about giving our thanks to the Great Sensei. Oh, well. We don't have to do it every night.

Gregory was sitting at the head of the table along with his two brothers sitting next to him. Carol was sitting next to William. The house was so big, there were so many room and this house even has a bell to call everyone to dinner. These people must be rich or something. Crazy people, but very wealthy.

I just had to ask the question. "What do your parents do? Well, let me state it differently. What did your parents do before all this happened? I'm just wondering because you all live in a very large house and it just seems that you guys must be rich or something. I'm not being rude about it, if you know what I mean."

Gregory raised his hand up. "Don't end up like Carol. I know what you mean."

"What do you mean by you don't want her to end up like me?" Carol asked.

"I didn't mean that in a rude way, sis. I just don't want anyone else here turning into a chatterbox."

"That's all you think I am is a chatterbox."

Gregory sighed and looked back at me. "To answer your question, my father did some business in handling oil for the west side of Ninjago, which is the location that we live in. When he was about eighteen, he discovered oil in the southern part of Spaintown. He became wealthy off it. The money didn't matter to him, though. Sure he was placed on the front page of every known magazine and newspaper, but none of that mattered to him. All he wanted was to pretend he wasn't rich and act like a normal person. He met our mother, who was a very poor woman. She spoke English, but it's still not as good as it was suppose to be. She was the kind of girl my dad was looking for. Her family was in the lowest poverty known to mankind. He wanted to make sure she got out of it. Right then and there, he married her. Even to this day, their love is still strong."

"Nothing can ever separated _madre y padre._ " Carol started crying. William placed his hand on her head.

I looked over at Carol. "Why are you crying?"

Carol propped her head up. "There are times when I fear that something happened to my parents. I worry about it all the time."

"I'm sure they're doing all they can to get through this," William said, speaking for the first time all day.

"What if their not? What if they turned into one of those things?" Carol`s sobs became louder. He cradled in William's arms. "I'm sorry. I have a problem with my emotions becoming out of control."

"They understand, sis," Gregory said, "They're the ninja."

"What you guys say about me is true," Carol said, "I am a chatterbox. I have so many problems. I don't know what to do or where to turn to with all these thoughts swirling around in my head."

"Just think of happy thoughts, sis," William said.

Gregory looked at all of us. "We apologize, everyone. Carol has a problem with her emotions becoming out of whack whenever she stops thinking about the good times. It's something we've all gotta deal with. It's not a problem or anything. She never calms down. That's why it happens. William here can't stop treating her like a child."

"Excuse me, I do not treat her like a child."

"Yes, you do," Wallace said, also speaking for the first time.

"Can you guys have this conversation another time?" Carol asked, drying up her tears, "I need a little quiet time without you guys talking about me."

"Alright, sis," Gregory said.

"Why are we even talking about other people's emotions?" Kai asked, "I'm trying to eat over here."

"Wow, you're cranky when you don't eat enough," Kitty said, blushing.

"Well, when you're the fire ninja, you've gotta eat plenty. When I'm not eating enough, I get crazy."

"You mean cranky, right?"

"I'm not gonna admit it like that."

"Let's just eat in silence," Cole said, "That would be very nice."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," Gregory said, "I think it's best if you and I have a little talk right here, right now."

"What exactly do we need to talk about?"

"We know you rescued our sister here, but that doesn't mean you have our trust just yet."

"Was that what you guys were talking about? I didn't understand a word you were saying."

"We're Spanish. What do you think?"

"I don't think I ever remembered rescuing her. I mean, I think I may have, but I don't remember."

Gregory looked at his sister. "Carol, what is he talking about?"

"Nothing," Carol said, "He's talking about nothing."

"Did you lie to us about them saving you?"

"Yes, I did, but there's a reason. I didn't wanna leave them out in the middle of nowhere, so I brought them back home with me."

"Carol, we talked about this. You're not suppose to bring strangers into this house. Especially during the middle of all this."

"My instincts were telling me not to leave them out there. What choice did I have?"

"You have the right to ignore your instincts."

"No, I don't. I can make my own decisions. Stop treating me like a baby."

"Well, you know what. I treat you like a baby for a reason. You act like one all the time. Why shouldn't I treat you like one?"

"There's a reason why I can't stand being around you, George. You are unbelievable to deal with." Carol got up from the table. "I'm going to my room."

"Carol, you need to eat."

"I don't care. I'd rather starve." Carol left the room with tears in her eyes.

Gregory sighed as he placed his fingers around his temples. "What are we gonna do about her?"

"Do you think it would help if someone went to talk to her?" I asked.

"I'll go," William offered.

"No, you just make everything worse," Wallace said.

"How do I make things worse?"

"I meant somebody other than you guys. Doesn't she have any friends."

"Look, if you wanna talk to her, go ahead," Gregory said, "Nobody's stopping you."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll go." I removed myself from the chair and walked upstairs.

I may have said these people were crazy, but I was wrong. I mean they were brothers and sister so they would fight. That's what siblings do. I should know. I have one. If anything, Carol needs someone to talk to. That someone is gonna be me if not anyone else.

* * *

 **WE ALL KNOW HOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE. THEY FIGHT. WE ALL HAVE THAT PROBLEM. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.**

 **I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. I'LL BE ON FANFICTION AS 'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL LOVED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	32. Talking to Carol

CHAPTER 31

TALKING TO CAROL

 **NYA`S POV:**

I walked up the stairs, searching for Carol`s room. I guess I should've asked which room was which. Unfortunately, I have to be stupid and not asked. I just kept walking around until I finally found a sign that said Carol`s room. I opened it gently, only peeking inside. I saw Carol lying face first on her bed, crying softly as though she were alone. Being the worried person I am, I walked inside the room. Carol must've heard me come inside because she lifted her face up from her pillow. Make-up smeared down her face. I wasn't very sure why somebody would still be wearing beauty products in the middle of an apocalypse, but I decided not to ask. I walked over to Carol and sat on her bed. She placed her face back on her pillow while continuing to cry.

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Carol?"

"No, I'm not," Carol said. I could still understand her, even if she was murmuring with her face still pressed against her pillow. "I don't get why everyone has to be so rude to me. Especially my brothers."

"I'm sure they weren't being rude. They just don't understand you for who you really are."

"They never have. My brothers are nothing but horrible, outrageous jerks who always tell me what to do and try to make sure I don't do anything to harm myself. When are they going to realize that I'm eighteen years old and I don't need them to baby me anymore?"

"They're only doing it to protect you."

"I don't need their protection. They should be more concerned about finding wives then they should be of me. If anything, my father should be the one overprotecting me. There are times when I would hate it, but they would still be enjoyable memories to look back on."

"I think I know why their doing it. They're substituting for your father while he's gone."

Carol sat up, sitting next to me on the bed. "Well, I don't need anyone substituting my father, especially them."

"I have to say, Carol. There's something you and I have in common."

"What's that?"

"You and I both have brothers and they're overprotective of us."

"Yeah, but there's a difference. You have only one while I have three of them."

"There's always a good thing about having a sibling. Especially an older one. I went outside to play one day when I was a little girl. It was back when my parents were still alive. My brother and I were in the woods, but somehow I wandered off from him. I knew it was best not to walk around too much, so I just stayed in one place, hoping somebody would come and find me. It felt like hours had went by and nobody came to my rescue. The sun was starting to set, and before I knew it, I started crying. I wasn't sure what to do or where to go if I ended up having to stay the night. Suddenly, I heard someone call out my name. I started moving towards the sound. Once I got closer, I saw that it was my brothers voice. I was still crying by the time I tightly embraced him in a hug. He told me that he's been trying to find me ever since I wandered off from him. I knew by that moment, he was afraid that something would've happened to me, but he made a promise not to tell our parents. Ever since that day, I figured that having an older brother can bring you good luck. If something ever happened to me, Kai would always go out and search for me. After rescuing me so many times, I'd do the same for him. You we, having an older sibling can be a good thing. You just have to see it to believe it."

Carol scoffed. "My brothers have never done anything to help me. The only thing they've always done is to make sure I never went outside."

"I'm sure they've done something."

"Well, there was one thing, but it wasn't much. My mother took my brothers and I to the park one day and I went to play in the sandbox. This boy came up and told me to get out of his sandbox. I told the boy he had no right to pick on me and declare the sandbox his and he kicked my sand castle down and got sand in my eyes. I started crying and my brothers ended up hearing me. They told the guy to back off or else they would use force. Once the boy knew they were my brothers, he ran off. My mom ended up taking me to the doctor to see how much sand I had in my eyes. He said it wasn't too much, but he gave me eye drops. I don't even know how my brothers helped me in that situation."

"They helped you a lot."

"What do you mean? All they did was tell the kid to get away from me."

"Something as simple as that shows how much your bothers are willing to help you. It doesn't matter if it was something simple or big. They're still willing to help you no matter what. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"I guess, but would it matter? They're never gonna stop treating me like a child."

"Well, since your the younger sibling, you're going to be treated like the baby. That's how it is with Kai. I'm the younger sibling, so that's how I'm treated."

"But how can I show my brothers that I'm responsible enough to take care of myself?"

"Well, I gained my brothers trust after I became the samurai. As long as I was protected under a suit of armor, I was okay."

"What happened if you ended up becoming a ninja? What would happen then?"

"Well, Kai would be worried about me, but he would understand that I'm fighting for the sake of Ninjago."

"Yeah, but he would always stick to your side."

"Not all the time. There are times when I'll have to fight solo and he'll understand that."

Carol sighed. "Do you know of anything that I can do to gain my brother's trust?"

"Well, I don't know you that well."

"Oh, did you plan to get to know me?" A smile formed on Carol`s face.

"Well, I suppose we'll be sticking together for a while, so why not?"

"Oh, this is so exciting."

"Let's calm down a minute, though. Let's not talk too fast or talk about ourselves in full sentences. Let's stay calm and take turns. Can you do that?"

"I can, but it won't be easy."

"I'll help you out."

Carol took a deep breath. "Okay. My real name is Caroline, but I don't really like that name, so I've shortened it to Carol. My last name is Dominez, which explains to you that I'm fully Spanish."

"How pretty! I'm known as Nya to everyone. My last name is Smith. I'm suppose to be fully Ninjian, not an English settler."

"Then where did you get your last name from?"

"I really don't know, actually. If my father were still here, he would tell me."

"What if he didn't know?"

"I guess I would be stuck."

Carol laughed. "Okay, let's move on. You already know what my dad does for a living, thanks to my brother. What does your dad do for a living?"

"You mean what he used to do for a living. When he was still alive, he was a blacksmith."

"How did your father passed away?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's too difficult to say."

"I understand. I'd rather not think about my father, either." Carol sighed. "Anyway, is there anything important that I should know about you?"

"Well, I'm lactose intolerant to milk, so I can't eat certain dairy products. Trust me, you don't wanna know what happens when I drink regular milk."

"I'd rather not know. Anything else?"

"Well, I'm allergic to mangoes, but that's pretty much it. What about you?"

"I'm allergic to nuts. Oh, and peanut butter."

"Is there any types of nuts that you're allergic to?"

"I'm allergic to all of them."

"I understand. Okay, moving on. What's your favorite color?"

"Purple. Or violet, to be exact. You?"

"Blue. Plain old blue."

"There is something you should know about me. I love to paint."

"What kind of paintings have you made?"

"Well, there is this one room I go to make my paintings in. Do you wanna see them?"

"Sure, I'd love to. Lead the way."

"Okay, come on. You're going to love what you see."

We both got up off of Carol`s bed. I followed Carol in the hallway and once we got to a specific door, we stopped in front of it. Carol removed a key from her pocket and twisted it in the slot. When she opened the door, I was so surprised to see the wonders that I just saw before me.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE NYA AND CAROL ARE GONNA BE BEST FRIENDS. THOSE TWO SEEM TO GET ALONG. I WONDER WHAT KIND OF PAINTINGS CAROL HAS. SHE SAID SHE HAD SOME, BUT WHAT MADE NYA LOOK IN AWE? I GUESS WE'LL KNOW IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

 **I HAVE A SPANISH TEST TOMORROW, SO WISH ME LUCK. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL LOVED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	33. Paintings So Real and Alive

CHAPTER 32

PAINTINGS SO REAL AND ALIVE

 **NYA`S POV:**

When Carol told me that we were going to see her paintings, I didn't know we would see an entire room cover with paintings on the walls. Some unfinished paintings sat on their easels. One side of the wall was covered with backgrounds of violet with portraits of people and paintings of landscapes. I guess she wasn't kidding when she said that violet was her favorite color. There were even paintings that were hung up on the ceiling. I actually looked at the floor to see a beautiful pattern of colors all over the place. I never thought I'd see the day when there were all assortment of paintings that look as though they should be placed in a museum. Portraits of people. Paintings of landscapes. Paintings of pictures that deal with all sorts of emotions. Paintings of,... well,... everything. Just every single tiny little detail you could ever imagine.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, "I've never seen paintings like these before. How long did it take you to make all these paintings?"

"I've been painting since I was five," Carol said, "I got mad one day and I stormed into this empty room. When I first came in here, there was literally nothing inside. I mean it. Nothing. So I got the idea of just searching inside that little closet right there."

"Did it have anything in it?"

"It did. What I found was something I never saw my parents with. I don't think it belonged to them. There were picture frames, art supplies, a bunch of easels filled with paper and painting boards. I've never seen so many art supplies in my life. That's when I got the idea of painting the floor. Once I started, I didn't stop. I just kept going and going and going until the sun went down and I had to go and eat dinner. By the time night fell, I was finished with the floor painting. I had thought of it as one of my best creations yet."

"Did you tell your parents about it?"

"Not at first, but when I kept going into the room continuously, they finally figured it out."

"Were they mad?"

"No. In fact, they were actually happy. They told me if art was something I wanted to do, then I should continue doing it. You know what? Art is something I wanted to do."

"Is there still anything in that closet?"

"Oh, yeah. There's plenty of art supplies. To this day, my parents still make sure to get me more so I have the right amount."

"What made you so mad that you wandered inside of this room?"

"My brothers made me mad, as usual. They told me I was too little to go into the village by myself. I should actually thank them for making me mad. I would've never found my true skill if it wasn't for them."

"So having more than one older sibling is a good thing sometimes?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time. Even when they make me really mad, it doesn't bother me all that much. All I do is cry about it for a few minutes then come in here and do a little painting. If I'm really upset and don't feel like painting, I just go over to my desk and color."

"Don't you do other things besides paint?"

"Oh, yeah, I do other things. I like to read and write a little bit. If I were to say it in Spanish, I would say it like this. _A mi me gusta leer y escribir._ "

"What did you just say?"

"I said I like to read and write. I really need to teach you guys a little bit of Spanish. Don't they teach it in school anymore?"

"They do, but I never took the class. I took a class to learn the native language of Ninjago."

"I know some of the native language. I know how to say hello. Is it chihow?"

"Yep. That's it."

Carol gasped. "Hey, there's something to wanted to show you."

"I thought you already showed me."

"No, no, no. What I wanted to show you was different. It's inside the closet." Carol opened the door of the closet, mentioning me to come in. "Come on."

I walked inside, seeing that it was bigger than I expected. "Wow. I didn't realize this was a walk in closet. Plus, you painted the walls. And the floors. If you added some fashionable clothing, it would look really good."

"Thanks. I was thinking the same thing when I first came in here. Now where did I put it. Oh, here it is." After scrambling a little bit, Carol showed me a large brown book that looked a bit old, but it still looked useful. "I wanted to show you something in this book."

"Is there a legend in there that you wanted to tell me about or something?"

"Oh, no. This book isn't filled with stories. It's filled with something else."

"Is it filled with drawings that help you with your paintings?"

"Wow, you are filled with so many questions. No, it's not filled with drawings."

"Then what is it?"

Carol opened the book, showing pictures of flowers and what looked to be herbs. I thought I had saw a few spells in there as well. Carol smiled at me. "Would you like to guess again?"

"I think I've guessed enough after earlier. What's that book about, anyway?"

"If it's not filled with stories or drawings, then the only thing that it can be is a spell bok that's used for light magic."

"Light magic?"

"Yep. It even included this wand." She held up a wand that looked old in years. "It actually like more like a stick, but it's a wand. I can guarantee you that."

"Where did you find this book at?"

"In the closet a few years ago. I was in here looking for some more paint when I found it. I just had the idea all of a sudden that I wanted to learn how to use light magic."

"So you're learning the art of good witchcraft?"

"Well, if you think that's how it should be stated, then yes. I'm learning how to use magic for good."

"Well, that's always good to hear. I guess I won't have to worry about you trying to use magic to mind control us. Does you family know that you use magic?"

"No. You're the only one that knows. If anyone else finds out, including my brothers, they won't be happy about it."

"Some say that if you learn magic, either good or bad, you're more likely to be an outcast and place yourself in solitude than be around other people. It has happened before."

"Have you ever seen it, though?"

"Of course I have. I've met a few good witches. They're the ones that teach me some of the magic that I need to know. You never know when you might need magic to help others. That's why I learn how to use magic for good."

"You know, magic can't always be used to help people. Sometimes you just have to use a little TLC. You won't always be able to cure every illness with just one wave of a wand."

"I know that, Nya. There are spells that can cure some illnesses. That's why I use magic for good."

"I know, but still. Don't rely on magic all the time."

"I won't. I don't rely on magic for every single thing that happens. Just for the most important things. Oh, by the way, there something I wanna show you. I learned how to do this trick from one of the witches. It's really cool."

"What is it?"

"Come back out here and I'll show you." Carol led me out of the room, wand in hand. She closed her eyes and said a rhyme.

 _From every excitement and every jive_

 _Make the paintings come alive._

Magic came from the wand, spreading a little sparkle into each painting. Before my eyes could get a glimpse at what was going on, all the images from the paintings came to life. People and landscapes came right out of the paintings and started to mix in with each other. I gasped at delight with the sight that I was seeing. This was all so beautiful.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, "I've never seen something so amazing in my life. Paintings that actually come to life. It's like a dream come true."

"I've lived up to that dream when I was little," Carol said, "Now I get to live that dream everyday. Although, once upon a time, I didn't have that many real friends when I was little. I had a few, but not a lot."

"Well, you have me. I'm your new friend."

Carol smiled. "I knew you would be."

"So do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I do feel better. I'm glad that I told you about this. I'm ready to talk to my brother's again."

"Okay. Come on."

Carol sent the paintings back into their original places and put the wand back inside her book. She placed her book back inside the closet and followed me out of the room. I led her down the stairs with a smile on my face. I'm glad that we got to know each other.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE WE KNOW MORE ABOUT CAROL THAN MEETS THE EYE. NOT ONLY IS SHE A WONDERFUL ARTIST, BUT SHE'S ALSO A WITCH THAT KNOWS GOOD MAGIC. SHE WANTS TO USE IT TO HELP PEOPLE. I HOPE SHE LISTENS TO NYA AND REMEMBER THAT MAGIC CAN'T CURE EVERYTHING.**

 **I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. SO NOT COOL. IT'S GONNA BE BORING, AS USUAL. AT LEAST I'M DOING BETTER IN CHEMISTRY THAN I THOUGHT. PLUS, THE ACT IS COMING UP IN THE SPRING. NERVOUS. YES. GETTING PREPARED. DEFINITELY, BUT IT'S NOT EASY.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	34. A Couple of New Guests

CHAPTER 33

A COUPLE OF NEW GUESTS

 **NYA`S POV:**

Carol and I went back downstairs with everyone else. The moment she saw Gregory, she turned her head away. I'm pretty sure that they weren't ready to talk to each other just yet. I sighed, seeing that my little talk didn't take effect. For the time being. I'm sure those two are trying to think through their thoughts and figure out what to say to each other. Gregory placed his hand on his chin. I heard Carol start to sniffle and then finally cry. For the first few minutes, Gregory didn't do anything. He was sitting at the end of the couch, trying to ignore his sister's cries. He balled his one hand into a fist. It was hard to ignore his sister when she burst into tears. When he could take it no longer, Gregory scooted over to Carol and held her in his arms. Her sobbing was louder, but she buried her head on his chest.

"There, there, Carol," Gregory said, "It's all gonna be okay. I know how it feels. I know why you're upset. I'm sorry."

"You make me feel as though I can't do anything for myself," Carol said, "I just want to do things for myself, but you never let me."

"I know, but I promise that I won't get in the way again. I won't break that promise."

"Yes, you will. You usually do. You never keep any of your promises to me."

"I will. Unless it's something really important, I'll keep that promise. Listen, Carol, I'm only overprotective because I care about you. You're my little sister. William and Wallace are the same way, but I stick to you a lot more cause there has to be one older sibling in the family that has to make protection a lot stricter. That older sibling is me."

"Could you at least try not to be so overprotective all the time?"

"Sure thing, sis."

Carol embraced her brother tightly. I feel as though Kai and I are usually the same way, but not too much. Sure, Kai can be overprotective, but he doesn't control my life all the time. He at least let's me do some things for myself. Carol and her brothers have a long way to go if they're to ever get through their family troubles. For one thing, they have no idea where their parents are. Another thing is they were all alone inside a giant house without anybody or anything to help them with protection. I'm not even sure they knew how to use a sword. The least they know how to use is a dart shooter or a blow dart. I sighed, seeing that now wasn't the right time to be thinking about all that. This moment should be about Carol and Gregory trying to settle their differences.

A knock came to the door. I stood up. "Who's out there? Did one of the ninja go outside?"

"No, everyone's inside," Gregory said, "Let me check it out." Gregory looked out a peephole from the door, looking outside. Carol looked scared so I sat next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. Gregory looked back at the both of us. "Girls, go inside the kitchen for a minute. I'll tell you when it's safe to come out."

Carol ran to the kitchen. I followed behind her. I placed my hand over my chest. "Are you okay, Carol?"

"I'm fine," Carol said, "I just need to find some tea."

"Is everything alright?"

"The last time that door opened while all of this was happening was when our butler was still standing. Opening the door was the last thing he did. He left one of those things in and it bit him right in the shoulder. Gregory made quick movements and shot that thing in the head with his blow dart. I cried all day long. The event was just so scary. I couldn't calm myself down."

"Did one of your brothers ever calm you down?"

"While Gregory and William were trying to clean up the mess, Wallace comforted me. He made me tea, held me tight and told me stories to make me happy."

"Is he the only brother that ever helps you?"

"He mostly is. Usually it's William. Sometimes it's Gregory." We could hear the door open. Carol started hyperventilating. "He's opening the door. Help me find some tea."

"Carol, calm down. It's gonna be okay. Everything will be fine."

"I can't calm down. I usually have trouble doing that."

"Listen, Carol, it's all gonna be fine. Just sit down and stay calm."

"I don't think I can."

"Yes, you can. I know you can."

The door to the dining room opened. Cole walked inside the kitchen. "Is everything okay in here? I keep hearing someone freak out."

"It's Carol," I said.

"There's somebody at the door," Carol said, breathing heavily, "Gregory`s answering it. It could be one of those things. You never know."

"Nya, what is she talking about?" Cole asked.

"She had a bad experience the last time somebody opened the door," I said.

"Oh. I get it now." Cole walked up to Carol and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll make you girls some tea."

"I'm good right now, Cole. Carol needs it more." I leaned close to Carol`s ear. "That's all Cole's good at is making tea. He's a terrible cook."

"I heard that."

Carol`s eyes widened. "You were speaking so quietly. How could he hear you?"

"Somehow, he gained sensitive hearing," I said, "Speaking of which, I wonder if he's talk to Sensei Wu about that."

"He told me that we'd talk about in the morning," Cole said, finding a pot, "Why are you so worried about me?"

"I'm not worried about you. I was just concerned."

"Yeah, yeah. Refuse all you want. It's not gonna work for me."

I sighed. "Whatever."

"What's taking Gregory so long?" Carol asked.

"I'm sure he's okay," I said, "Don't be too worried."

"It's okay, girls," Gregory called out, "It's not a threat. It's safe to come back in the living room."

I grabbed Carol`s hand. "Come on, Carol. It's safe now."

"I hope so," Carol said, shaking a bit.

We went inside the living room to see Gregory bring in two women and helping them settle inside. One of the girls had short blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black jacket and a blue shirt underneath. She had on a pair of jeans and some gym shoes. She had a brown bag on her shoulder that looked pretty heavy. She looked to be either at twenty or a couple of years older. Either way, she looked a bit young.

The other girl had long blonde hair that was pulled into a braid. Her eyes were a solid color brown. She was wearing a yellow sweater and white pants, along with a pair of yellow sneakers. She carried a pink bag over her shoulder, clutching it tightly. Her eyes were filled with fear. She looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. Kind of explains why she wears such beautiful things.

Gregory gestured for both of them to sit down. "Have a seat, you two. I'll go and make you some tea."

"Cole's actually making tea right now," I said, "Carol started freaking out a moment ago."

"I understand. I'll tell him to fix everyone some tea." He placed his eyes on the dining room door. "Wallace. Ring the bell for everyone to come down here." To turned back to us. "I'll be back in a minute."

"We'll keep the girls company," Carol said, sitting across the younger girl, "Hello."

The girl with the braid flinched, grabbing the other girl's arm. "Keep away." I must say, the braid girl has a really pretty British accent.

The girl with the short hair placed her hand on the scared girl's cheek. "Shh. It's alright. She's just saying hello."

"Is she okay?" Carol asked.

"She's fine," the short haired girl said, "Zelda here can be frightened easily."

"Monica, it was a mistake coming here," Zelda said, "I just wanna go back to the cabin."

"Zelda, we can't go back," Monica said, "It's not safe anymore."

"What's going on down here?" Kitty asked, coming downstairs.

"Whoever you are, stay away from me," Zelda said, shaking violently, "Monica, don't let her come near me."

"Monica?" Kitty asked, "Monica Lora? Is that really you?"

"Kitty?" Monica said, "Kitty Armegon?"

"It's me."

"I'm so glad to see you again."

Monica ran up to Kitty and hugged her. Carol and I looked at each other. We were both confused at what was going on. Kitty must have seen our expression. She let go of Monica and looked at us. "I suppose you're wondering. I'm gonna tell you. Monica here is my brother's fiancee."

* * *

 **WHOA. SO MUCH IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. OH, BY THE WAY, ALL THE KIDS, LLOYD, ZELDA, MONICA, AND NICK ARE GONNA BE GROWN. MONICA AND NICK ARE FOUR YEARS OLDER THAN LLOYD AND ZELDA. JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP IN CASE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.**

 **I'LL BE WRITING THIS FOR THE WEEK BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH SOME OF YOU MISSED THIS STORY.**

 **ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	35. Old and New Friends Come Together

CHAPTER 34

OLD AND NEW FRIENDS COME TOGETHER

 **NYA`S POV:**

There was a lot going on right now. First off, I had to help Carol calm down. Second, these two mysterious girls that I've never seen before come wandering inside and it seems that Kitty already knows one of them. Once everyone else came in the living room, we tried to get the frightened girl to talk to us, but her mouth refused to open. Stephen came downstairs for the first time all day. He never came downstairs for dinner so I'm pretty sure he was hungry. He didn't say a word, though. All he did was crawl next to Kitty and buried himself in her arms. Jay came inside and sat down next to me, putting one arm around my shoulder. Cole came inside and set down a tray filled with cups of tea. Carol grabbed one immediately and started taking a long sip. I placed a hand on her shoulder, hopefully trying to relax after freaking out earlier.

Once everyone was settled, Kitty was the one to ask the first question. "Where have you been all this time, Monica?"

"Where do I even begin?" Monica said, "It's been almost two weeks since any of this happened. I've been going here and there doing this and that. I didn't know where to go or what to do. When all of this happened, I was in Ignacia Village. I teach at a boarding school over there. I was wondering why school was closing early and why all the children had to evacuate back to their homes. Once I turned on the TV, I figured out why."

"What did you do?"

"I went back to my home and started packing my things. I knew staying in Ignacia was a bad idea. Those things would be coming soon. I had to escape before they ever got close. Once I got everything packed, I left, not knowing that those things were already close to the entrance. I had to turn another way to get out of the village. I went as far into the woods as I could, not caring where I went or where I was. A few hours of driving and I found myself a log cabin in the middle of the woods. It didn't look like anyone was staying there so I just went inside, parking my car as close to the door as possible. That may seem like a bad idea, but at that point, I could care less."

"Was there anyone inside?"

"Nope. It was empty, but I did see a strange message wrote on the wall. It said, 'Stay here and be safe. I ran away, but take the cabin if you want.' I wasn't going to turn down the offer. It seemed like a nice place to stay. It had a good amount of food that looked as though it could last about six months. It was comfortable, so I just stayed there."

"How did you meet Zelda?"

"The poor girl. I was outside one day and I heard someone screaming. It was just one of those days where the wanderers weren't wandering around. They were laying on the ground taking their three day nap. I happened to just be outside and heard someone scream. With my dart shooter in hand, I ran off into the woods. I saw Zelda screaming while being chased by a bear. She was holding her arm so I knew she got hurt. I had no choice. It would be a waste of darts, but I had to take the bear down before it did anymore harm to her. So I took it down."

"What happened after that?"

"I carefully picked Zelda up from the ground and took her back to the cabin. The poor girl was frightened by the experience that happened moments ago. I did the best I could do to keep her calm. I had to wrap up her arm since it was pretty bad. He claw marks were deep and the only way they would heal is to close up the wound. I was glad to remember how to close up a wound during my time in school. The first thing I had to do was keep her calm and make her at the least go to sleep. That way, she wouldn't wake up automatically. I gave her some chamomile tea and she fell asleep in a wink. While she was out, I closed up the wound. She didn't wake until after I was finished. I had her stay inside the cabin with me. The way she got scared easily and how she almost got mauled by a bear, I couldn't let her go back out there on her own. I did my best to make sure she was comfortable."

"Why did you guys have to leave?"

"Anacondrai invaded the cabin. They tried to lock us up, but I fought my way out of there, bringing Zelda with me. Neither of us were going down by a herd of giant snakes. We fought our way out and climbed into my car, driving off as fast as we could. We had to keep going, though. Those things were up and walking and I couldn't stop and let them see me. We just kept on going and we soon ended up here."

"Well, that's easier said than done. Weren't you looking for my brother, though?"

"I was, but I was also looking for my father. I have no idea where he is. I don't know where Nick is, either, but I'm just so worried about him. I try not to show it because I want people to know that I'm not worried about anything."

"Who's your father?"

"Kitty, I think it's time for someone else to ask a question," I said, "This isn't a conversation between the two of you."

"Well, excuse me for being concerned about my future sister-in-law. I've been worried about her myself."

"Oh, all this talking is starting to give me a headache," Zelda said.

Monica picked up a cup of tea from the tray. "Here. Drink some tea, Zelda. That always keeps you calm."

"Thank you."

Monica sighed. "Zelda was the daughter of the governor of Ninjago. He didn't make it through all this."

"She may know who caused this whole thing," Kai said.

"Stay away from me," Zelda said, "I have no answers for you."

"Zelda, he's not making you answer any questions," Monica said.

"He just said I had answers for him. He thinks I know who caused this whole thing. I won't tell you a thing. I don't know anything."

"Zelda, it's okay. Calm down. Don't worry about our conversation. Just drink your tea and relax."

"I think we're starting to freak her out," Jay said.

"It's not you guys," Monica said, "Somebody held her hostage at the beginning of this because they thought she knew who was the cause of all this."

"Does she know?" Pixal asked.

"I don't know. She doesn't tell me anything about it. She won't say one word. I don't force it out of her."

"Let's change the subject here," Misako said, "You said that you're looking for your fiancee, right?"

"Yes, that's true, but I'm also looking for my father," Monica said.

"Describe him for us," Garmadon said.

"Well, I'm not very sure how he looks now, but the last time I saw him, his hair was going white and he was starting to grow a beard. Some say that he's a Sensei now."

"His name wouldn't happen to be Wu, would it?" Misako asked.

"Yes, it is," Monica said, "How did you know? Do you know my father?"

"We do, actually," Garmadon said, "He happens to be my younger brother."

"And our Sensei," Jay said.

"He's also my uncle," Lloyd said.

"Wait a minute," Monica said, "I recognize you all now. You're all the masters of spinjitzu. The ninja of fire, ice, earth and lightning. If you're my father's brother, then you must be the former Lord Garmadon."

"It's Sensei Garmadon now," Garmadon said.

Monica turned her attention to Lloyd. "If you're the son of Garmadon, then you must be the Golden Ninja. The second spinjitzu master. That's you, right?"

"That's me," Lloyd said, "Since you're my uncle's daughter, that makes you my cousin, right?"

"Well, I may be your uncle's daughter, and that does make me your cousin, but I'm not technically his real daughter."

"What are you talking about? You kind of look like him."

"Perhaps, but he's not my biological father. My real father passed away before my real mother could tell him that she was expecting me. Two months after he passed, my mother went to live with Wu, who happened to be an old childhood friend. He said that she could live with him for as long as she wanted. By that time, my mother was preparing for my arrival. She was hoping I would be a girl so she started spending her days making all these little baby dresses and stuff. She went out of her way to find a bunch of dolls and anything that would be considered the color pink. When she saw that I was a girl, she cried tears of joy, but she didn't get to spend as much time with me as she thought. When I was three months old, my mother caught the same thing my real father had. She passed away two weeks later. Ever since that day, I've been under the tender, love and caring guardianship of Wu. I started caring for him a lot more like a father than a guardian. That's why I started referring to him as my father. He told me when I was twelve that I was adopted by him when my mother passed on. I figured that no matter which father I had, both of them would give me the love and care that I needed."

"That is true." We all looked to see Sensei Wu walking down the stairs, smiling at everyone. He gave Monica eyes with the same compassionate love that she was used to seeing from him. "It's good to see you again, Monica."

* * *

 **AWWWW! SENSEI WU HAS A DAUGHTER. WELL, MAYBE SHE MAY NOT BE HIS REAL DAUGHTER, BUT SHE'S STILL HIS CHILD. AFTER ALL, DNA DOESN'T AKE A FAMILY. LOVE DOES.**

 **I HAVE TO RETURN TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. I HOPE THIS WEEK IS BETTER THAN LAST WEEK.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	36. Secrets of the Past

CHAPTER 35

SECRETS OF THE PAST

 **MONICA'S POV:**

It was a joy to finally be reunited with my father. After I had left six year ago, I didn't know where he was or what he was doing. Now I know that I should've paid more attention to the news. He's been with the ninja this whole time, stopping evil forces from taking over Ninjago. After so long, this was our chance to finally reunite. With everything going on, it was good to just sit and talk fir as long as you want. I was just so happy. I had ran up and embraced my father with all the might I had. I had missed him so. He was different from the last time I saw him. His beard was longer and he was wearing a straw hat. I never thought I'd see the day when my father would officially become a sensei. It was one of those moment where I became proud of the things my father's doing.

After our little family reunion, I was told to find Zelda and I a room so we could get some sleep. Everybody seemed to need some, especially Zelda. After being freaked out like so, I really need to make sure that she calms down.

I set up a bed for Zelda and made her lie down while I got her things unpacked and settled in. I would rather her go ahead and get some rest before me. I'll wake up early regardless of the time.

Once I was finished, I crawled into the other bed next to Zelda and went to sleep. I wasn't asleep for an hour before I heard Zelda`s screams of terror. I jumped out of bed and ran up to her, hugging her to make her calm down.

"Zelda, it's okay," I said softly, "I'm here."

"There coming for me," Zelda said, "The wanderers are coming. It's only a matter of time."

"Zelda, they're not gonna come get you. You're safe. Everything is fine. We're inside a nice house and we're away from the outside world. It can't get any better than that."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Everything's okay."

Zelda sighed. "Why do I have the feeling that it won't be in the near future?"

"It will. I'm sure we'll still be here a month later."

"I hope so." Zelda sat up. "How happy are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have just been reunited with your father. Isn't it wonderful?"

"It is."

"You don't seem happy about it."

"I am."

"You're not acting like it."

"With all my heart, I care about my father. Don't you dare think otherwise."

"Just making sure."

"Thanks for checking up on me."

"Of course, but there is one thing I'd like to know."

"What's that?"

"Where were you when you weren't with your father? Must there be a story behind it all?"

"There is a story. He treated me like I was his real daughter. After the adoption papers were filled out, we started having that little father-daughter relationship. I grew up learning how to fight, how to be a girl and do a lot of things. When I was fourteen, though, I figured that I was ready to make a decision of my own. I decided that I wanted to go to boarding school."

"Boarding school? No child ever wants to go there."

"I know, but this school had my interests. I was interested in all the subjects and the classes that they had. I literally begged my father to go. After too much begging and cute puppy dog eyes, he was finally convinced that I was ready to spread my wings. So, two weeks later, I packed up my things, hugged my father one last time and left. I haven't see him after that."

"Why didn't you just go to visit him? I'm sure the boarding school would've let you do so."

"They wouldn't let anyone leave. I found out that the boarding school I was in didn't allow you to leave under any circumstances unless it was a field trip. I knew from that point on, I was stuck. The one thing I could do was write to my father. He wrote back every time. After I turned sixteen, he stopped replying to my letters."

"What did you do? Did you continue writing to him?"

"No. I stopped."

"What did you start doing after that?"

"Well, I finished up my studies and graduated. Although, graduation from that school wasn't what I thought it would be. You see, parents aren't allowed to enter the premises after some tried to remove their children out of there in the past. They had to stay put. I gotta say that those teachers were strict. I graduated by the say so from the headmaster and left the school. I was happy to be outside in the real world again."

"What did you do?"

"I went to Jamanicai Village. That's where I met my fiancee. At first, he turned out to be a friend, but then we got to know each other, we started hanging out more and we dated for some time and it was only two months ago when he asked me to be his wife. I loved him more than any man in the world. I said yes."

"When were you suppose to be married?"

"What day is it?"

"Why, it's the last day of June."

"Today was the day. I didn't even find myself a wedding dress or a boutique of roses or anything like that. After all this happened, I was devastated. I was hoping for one of the greatest days of my entire life, but it seems that day will have to wait until all this blows over."

"Do you regret ever going to that boarding school?"

"Not really. I mean, sure I had my doubts, but if I never went there, then I wouldn't of ever met Nick."

"So that's the name of your fiancee?"

"Yeah. It's a cute name, if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean."

I don't know why, but I started crying. It made me feel as though something sad broke right through my heart. I didn't know why I felt this way. Zelda tried to comfort me. After all the times I helped her, she was helping me in my state of need. It was the least anybody could do.

"I miss him," I said, "I just wanna see him again."

"I know how you feel. You're worried about Nick. I understand. If I were engaged to a man I loved, I would stick by his side, no matter what. If something were to ever happen, I don't know what I'd do."

"We had our whole lives planned for each other. We would own a nice house, have some kids and spend our lives filled with love and happiness. And light. So much light."

"You can still do all those things. Once this whole thing blows over."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting. I'm finished. I'm worried about him. What if he didn't make it through this?"

"There is no such thing as a 'what if.' There is such thing in losing hope. That's something you cannot lose."

I sniffed. "You're right. I can't lose hope. You know, if I ever had a daughter, that would be the perfect name for her."

"What would be?"

"Hope. I don't know why, but it's always sounded like the most wonderful name in all the world."

"I couldn't agree more."

I wiped away the remaining tears that fell from my cheeks. "Thanks, Zelda. I help you feel calm and you do the same for me."

"You're my friend. Why wouldn't I help you?"

The door to the room opened, revealing Nya. We finally learned everyone's name before heading off to bed. Nya came inside the room. "Is everything okay in here? I heard some noise."

"Everything's fine," I said, "Zelda had a nightmare. I broke down crying. Everything's okay, though."

"Why were you crying?"

"I'll tell you about it in the morning. I need to get some sleep."

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night, Nya."

"Good night," Zelda said.

I sighed. "Let's get back to bed, Zelda."

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I never met my real parents, either."

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know. Nobody ever told me."

I placed myself back into bed. "We'll talk about it more in the morning. Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, Monica."

I laid my head back on my pillow. I tried to remove the bad vibes away from my head, but I couldn't. They wouldn't leave. The only way I could get rid of them is if I found Nick again. I've already found my father. I just need to find him. Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep. None of my dreams were happy if I wasn't happy.

* * *

 **GIRL TALK. THERE'S NEVER THAT MUCH OF GUYS HELPING OTHER GUYS OUT. I HOPE MONICA DOES FIND HER FIANCEE. IT'S SO SAD THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND EACH OTHER. OH, WELL. SHE ALWAYS HAS HER DAD.**

 **WELL, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO TALK ABOUT. WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT SLEEP IN PSYCHOLOGY. NOW I CAN FIGURE WHY I GO TO BED AT NINE OR TEN AT NIGHT, BUT I STILL WAKE UP AT FOUR IN THE MORNING. NOW I CAN FIGURE OUT WHY. I'LL LET YOU KNOW ONCE I FIGURE IT OUT.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	37. Going Out

CHAPTER 36

GOING OUT

 **NYA`S POV:**

My sleep was dreamless. Which was a good thing. I wasn't expecting any dreams to cross my mind. I did wake up seeing that Kitty was not in bed. We were only here for one day and things were becoming crazy. We meet people that are crazy and some who try to be just plain normal. I guess that's what happens when you're living in a apocalyptic world. I hear that if you meet crazy people, you start to become crazy yourself. I don't get why that is, but that's just what I know. I crawled out of my bed in search for Kitty. I looked to see that he was coming out of the bathroom, but she was turning the other way. I figured out why she did. Something smelled good downstairs. Whatever it was, I was definitely craving for it.

Running downstairs, I entered the dining room to see everyone enjoying a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. It looked so good. I was hungry. I didn't each much last night due to the fact that I was helping Carol out with an emotional problem. I shrugged it off and went over to the table and ate. Everything was delicious. I wanted second helpings, but I couldn't forget that some of the food had to be saved. I can't forget that.

Wallace came in with a tray of cups in his hands. He set them down on the table. William came in along with Gregory, holding a clipboard in his hand. I'm not really sure what these guys were planning, but I know that it's no gonna turn out good.

"Morning everyone," Gregory said, "I hope you slept well."

"Mine was good," I said.

"So was mine," Kai said.

"Same here," Jay said.

"I didn't need a reply back," Gregory said.

"Well, excuse us for saying anything," Kai said.

"Quiet, please," William said, "Gregory and I need to go over your daily jobs for the day."

"Jobs?" Sensei Wu asked.

"Yes, old man, jobs," Gregory said, "Pardon my talking. I call a lot of senior citizen old."

"Really?" I said.

"No more interruptions. Listen, if you guys are gonna stay here, then you're gonna do things. You're not staying here and just sitting around doing nothing. I'll make sure you guys have something to do."

"Give us jobs," Kai said, "I dare you."

"He dared you," William said.

"I know that," Gregory said, "Okay, everyone. Here they are. Older people, you're staying here. Further instructions will be given later. Kai, Kitty, and Stephen, you guys will go to El Rico Village. Zane, Pixal, you guys will go to La Samana Village. Lloyd, Monica and Zelda, you guys will track down the east side of Spaintown City. Jay, Nya, Cole and Carol, you all will track down the west side of Spaintown. You have an hour to leave."

"What exactly are we doing?" Kai asked.

"Going out do gather supplies. Those things are finally napping."

"That's it. We're only going out for supplies?"

"That's right. We're already running low on food and we need to stock up with as many darts as we can. We're hoping you can help us out with that."

"Why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm in change of this house. Whatever I say needs to happen."

"You might live here, but you can't tell us what to do."

"Yes, I can. Don't forget that I'm the one to decide whether or not you should live here. You're to obey me, not yourself. I don't want you to be the first one to get kicked out."

"Don't get mad at me because I'm only asking a question," Kitty said, "Why are you making Stephen go and why did you put us in groups of two and three to separate us?"

Gregory sighed. "As I said before, nobody is gonna sit around here and do nothing. Splitting up, you may ask. We all need to go to a certain location around Spainland. There are plenty of villages around here, but we're only going to a few at a time. Everybody is to get a crate and their to fill it up to the brim with food."

"Why bring Stephen into this exactly?"

"The more people we send out, the more food we bring in."

"Stephen doesn't wanna go out there. He's only a ten year old boy. Plus, he's had some bad experiences with all this."

"Not my problem."

"Listen, sir, I'll just go ahead and say it," Stephen said, Speaking up for the first time in forever, "I don't wanna go out there. I don't like being around those things whether their napping or not."

"Listen, kid, what you're going through has nothing to do with me," Gregory said.

"Well, it should." The whole time I knew Stephen, I have never heard him raise his voice. The look on Kitty's face told me that she hasn't, either.

Gregory sighed. "Fine. Stay here if you want to. I'll give you something to do later. You gonna need to learn how to face your fears."

"What's to face? I'd rather be out with those things than be here."

"Stephen, don't say that," Kitty said.

"What does it matter to you, Kitty?" Stephen said, "I'm tired of running around other people's coattails. You wouldn't leave me alone and now you're starting to make me talk."

"I was only worried about you."

"Well, don't be. I don't need your sympathy. It's not like anybody's treated me with kindness my whole life. I guess that's what you get when you're an orphan."

"Alright, I'm tired of hearing it," Gregory said, "Go upstairs, kid. You've caused enough trouble."

"He hasn't caused any trouble," Kitty said, "Stephen, sit back down."

"Hey, I'm the only one that can tell anybody here what to do."

"No, you don't. This isn't even your house."

"Yes, it is," Carol said, "We live here."

"Yeah, you live here, but you live with the rightful owner of this house," Kitty said, "That happens to be your father."

"My father isn't here right now," Gregory said.

"Oh, really? I can believe that, but who did he rightfully put in charge in case something were to ever happen to him."

Gregory placed his hand on his forehead. "Alright, I'll admit it. He didn't exactly put me in charge in case anything were to ever happen. I put myself in charge."

"Who's the real leader here?"

"Wallace."

"Then why isn't he leading?"

"Because I'm older."

"You're not older," William said, "You're the youngest."

"No, I'm not," Gregory said.

"I was first," Wallace said, "William here was in between."

"That may be true about William, but I was first," Gregory said.

"No, you're not. It states the specific time when each of us were born on our birth certificates. I was born at 10:46 A. M., William was born at 10:57 A. M., and you were born at 11:07 A. M. I know that because I've study all the birth certificates in this house. You can't take away any of our bithrights."

"Why can't I?"

"You have no authority to do it. You can't change the past. You can't go and state that you were the first one born."

"Well, you have no authority to be the leader of this group. I do. It's been that way since we were kids and that's not going to change. You can't be the leader because you have no skills in doing so."

"Stop it!" Carol yelled, "You guys are acting like idiots."

"Your point being," Gregory said.

"If you can't decide on who should be the leader, then maybe I should take charge of the household."

"You can't be a better leader than me."

"I can't? We'll just see about that. All in favor of Gregory being leader, raise your right hand." Nobody placed their hand in the air. "Okay. All in favor of me being leader, raise your right hand." Everyone's hand shot up, including mine. Carol smiled. "Looks to be my lucky day. Okay, everyone, I'm your new leader. Wallace, you're my assistant so I need you to help me out."

"Sure thing," Wallace said, taking the clipboard from William's hand, "Everyone will go out to gather some food and supplies. The only thing Carol ask is if Stephen can stay here. We'll help him out. The rest of you, get going."

"I want everyone back by noon. Come on, Cole. You and I are searching the woods. Nya, Jay, you'll go with each other."

Well, at least Jay and I were alone on this one. I was glad to be getting out of the house. I don't think anybody could stand seeing the look in Gregory`s eyes. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE'S GOING OUT. YOU GOTTA HATE FAMILY ARGUMENTS, HUH? LOOKS LIKE THE YOUNGEST ALWAYS TURNS OUT TO BE THE LEADER IN THE END. IT MAY NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN, BUT IT USUALLY WORKS OUT.**

 **WE LEARNED HOW TO MEDITATE IN MY PSYCHOLOGY CLASS TODAY. YOU CAN'T GET ME TO DO IT RIGHT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RELAX. THAT'S MY MAIN PROBLEM. I CAN'T RELAX.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ONE SECRET ABOUT ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	38. Cole and Carol

CHAPTER 37

COLE AND CAROL

 **CAROL`S POV:**

Why do things always have to happen to me? Especially when it comes to dealing with family. Wallace and I seem to be the only smart one's in the family while Gregory and William fight about pretty much everything. I did my best to think of happy thoughts as Cole and I walked through the woods. My plan was to find herbs and the wonderful food of nature around me. In case something ever happened to anyone, we would have herbs for medical reasons. It's been a while since I was out in the beauties of the world and it was good to get some fresh air. I had a feeling that Cole was thinking the same thing, but he didn't say much. In fact, he hasn't spoken to me about anything at all. Once I found an herb tree, I started climbing up it until I was in front of its beautiful leaves.

Cole must've been wondering what I was doing because he called up to me. "Carol, what are you doing?"

I looked down to him. "I found some herbs."

"Herbs? I don't think we should be cooking a large meal in the middle of all this."

"It's not for cooking use. It's for medical reasons."

"Medical reasons? What are you talking about? How do you know what kind of herbs to get?"

"I read a book about it."

"That's everyone's excuse for everything."

"Aren't you gonna help me gather some of these?"

Cole shrugged. "I suppose." Cole came up the tree and stood next to me. "What kind of herbs are these, anyway?"

"Filla leaves."

"Filla leaves?"

"Yeah. These are used to help with certain types of strong injuries. For example, if you damaged your eye or something, this could help to relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. It'll help with those certain problems. Unfortunately, there's not an herb to cure the damaged area. It seems it will be destroyed for life."

"I'm pretty sure somebody taught you about these."

"Yep. My aunt did."

"Huh? I was thinking that your mother taught you."

"No. Everything that contains medical reasons was taught to me by my aunt. She's one of those old fashioned doctors. My mother would've learned them, but she grew up in a life of poverty. She and my dad fell in love, even though he was rich and she was poor. She was the girl my dad chose to be with."

"That's an act of true love right there."

"Don't you just enjoy seeing an act of true love right in front of you?"

"I suppose."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Cole sighed, sitting on the branch of the tree. "I've never fell in love before. Believe me, I've tried my best to be a ladies man, but girls just don't seem attracted to me the way they are with Kai. Zane and Jay have found their perfect match. Lloyd's not ready for love. Me, I'm alone. I don't have anyone to love."

"I'm sure you'll find the perfect girl out there one day."

"Well, at this point, I hope you're right, but if I don't, what do I do?"

"Just do what all the other lonely girls do. Sit on the couch, watch romantic movies and eat a pint of ice cream."

"That doesn't really work out for boys."

"Well, it works for me. I'm lonely all the time. I've never had a boyfriend. I know what you're thinking. I'm known as the _La Bonita Senorita_ , but that doesn't mean I've found the right guy to spend the rest of my life with yet."

"So basically all the handsome guys call you that because of your extraordinary beauty?"

"Yeah. Some even try to propose to me. Do you know how hard it is to try and get away from all those guys that just seem to chase after you all the time. It's horrible! It makes me feel as though some guy is gonna find me and make me his bride now that all this has happened."

"You shouldn't have to worry about that. You've got a lot of people that are willing to help you. Your bothers, new friends and, well,... I guess you would consider me as something."

"Well, you are considered as something."

"It makes me feel as though you should really be treated like everyone else."

"Don't worry, I am. Not a lot of people seem to think that I'm like everyone else, though."

"I do."

I looked down at him. "That's the first time anyone has ever said that to me. I never knew that it would be from a guy that I barely know."

"You know, maybe we should take this time and get to know each other a little bit. Take the time to see who we are. That's what I think friendship is known to be."

"Okay. Let's take a break. We've got plenty of time." I sat down next to him.

"Alright. So my full name is Cole Roberts Brookstone, but I merely go by Cole. I have this aunt that usually gets my name mixed up. She calls me Robert instead of Cole."

"Which one do you prefer?"

"I'd prefer Cole. I don't know who came up with my middle name."

"I kind of like it. Roberts seems like a pretty good name to be smack in the middle."

"Oh, so you like it."

I smiled. "I do."

"So tell me about your name."

"Okay. My full name is Caroline Maria Dominez. Most people call me Carol. Why should anybody give somebody the name Caroline? I'll never know. To this day, my father still calls me Caroline. He said that people should be proud of the name that was given to them. I'm pretty sure my mother was the one that named me."

"Huh? I'm not sure if it was either my father or my deceased mother that named me."

"You don't have a mom anymore?"

"Nope. My dad always told me that she died a few months after I was born. He did say that I was the light of her life when she was alive. There are pictures of us together."

"How did she die?"

"I don't really know. My dad said she died of some fatal illness, but I'm not sure that's what happened."

"It could've been. You never know."

"You're right. I may never know. Let's change the subject, though. I'm kind of tired talking about dead people."

"You and me both. We're already surrounded by them."

"I don't really think those things are dead. Just think about it. There blue some of them have blood streaks. They're also speaking. Do you really think that the undead would have the ability to talk?"

"The skeletons do."

"That different, though. The skeletons are just bones. These are real people we're dealing with. The only thing that can take them down are darts."

"One of those thing actually almost ended up in our hone once. The butler was taken down by it. He was one of the few people that actually lived in our home."

"Where was everyone else?"

"They went out, but they were never seen again."

"Sorry to hear that. You know, you've grown up in a nice home with a wealthy father. I grew up in a regular sized home with a middle class father who's a royal blacksmith."

"A royal blacksmith? I've heard of those kind of people. Their really talented. Your dad's name wouldn't happen to be Lou Brookstone, would it?"

"Yeah, that's his name."

"I've seen him before. Plenty of times. My dad enjoyed going to all his concerts. He even took me with him. I've talked to him maybe a time or two. He always told me that he had a son my age, but he just never came along. Now I know that you're his son. Why haven't you ever come along?"

"I wasn't born to be a singer or dancer. I was born to be a ninja. Plus, my real dream was to become a historian archeologist. Singing and dancing was not my thing."

"People were born to do certain things. You were born to learn how to be a hero. One of the greatest in Ninjago."

"What about you?"

"Me? I was born to learn how to paint. My life is surrounded by art. It's something I've always wanted to do."

"What else do you like to do?"

"Well, I like to read. I especially like to read legends."

"What kind of legends?"

We spent about an hour or two talking before we went back to work finding what we needed to find. I got to know Cole a lot more than I thought I would.

* * *

 **COLE AND CAROL ARE STARTING TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER. THIS MAY BE THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP. FOR THE OTHER FOUR CHAPTERS, IT WILL BE ABOUT THE OTHERS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN TOWN WHILE GATHERING FOR SUPPLIES. BY THE THIRD ONE, YOU'LL FIGURE OUT WHO'S LAST.**

 **WELL, THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	39. Kai and Kitty

CHAPTER 38

KAI AND KITTY

 **KAI`S POV:**

El Rico Village wasn't too far off from the house. In fact, it wasn't even that big of a village. It only looked like a long street with a bunch of dead end alleys and homes that look like apartments. Only someone that was real poor would live in a place such as this. It's kind of sad, to be honest. It was also sad to see all these people on the ground, taking a long slumber. I don't get it. Why are they always out for three days and then sleep for three more days? I guess we'll never know. I couldn't even pay attention that much. I didn't sleep well last night so I had a splitting headache. I didn't even think about wandering how this place had anything when it was nothing more than a village with a few buildings and low prices on selling apartment rooms. There's only one thing to say about this. There's nothing here.

Kitty turned her feet to go inside a tiny wooden building that looked as though it may cave in on itself any minute. I'm pretty sure it's always looked like that. I sighed, following Kitty inside, not wanting her to go in alone. We looked around to see a bunch of medical supplies. Looks like we found ourselves a small pharmacy.

"I'll get my crate," Kitty said, "We'll fill that one up with medical supplies. You never know what kind of medical situations we might get ourselves into."

She went to get the crate. I started taking a look around. The place looked empty. There were still some sorts of medicines and other junk in here. I looked to see a broken window next to the door. Looks like people started going crazy and started grabbing whatever kind of supplies they could get their hands on. Kitty saw it, too, once she came back inside.

I looked at her. "There's still plenty of stuff in here. We might wanna grab as much as we can."

"It's best to make sure it all last," Kitty said, "Only take things that we'll need more than anything else."

"What if we need all of it?"

"I guess someone will run all the way here and grab it. That's all I know."

"You'd still wanna get it in the middle of all this? While those things are still up?"

"I'll do what I think is right."

I sighed. "I think it's best to grab as much as we need."

"Well, why are we still talking? We've got work to do. If we're not back by noon, we may not be able to come back."

"We'll come back, alright."

"Talking slows down the process."

"Why do you think I'm doing it?"

"You're doing it to distract me."

"No, I'm doing it because I hate the silence."

"You hate it when it's quiet. What if we were in a situation and we had to stay quiet and you had no choice but to keep your mouth shut?"

"It's not really a problem for me. I'm a ninja, so I have to be quiet for certain situations. When I'm in the middle of a rescue, I'll keep my mouth close. When I'm not, and it just too quiet to bear, I'll say something."

"Whatever floats your boat. Since you don't wanna be quiet, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? It'll pass the time. I'm sure it won't be that much of a problem. We'll work while we talk."

"Well, I grew up in Ignacia Village."

"Isn't that some kind of farming village?"

"Yeah. Before my father died, he was a blacksmith. I wanted so bad to follow in his footsteps. I'm still learning it step by step, though."

"Oh, that's cool. At least you know some sort of skill."

"It's always good to learn something new, huh?"

"How long have you learn to be a blacksmith?"

"When I was a kid."

"That long? Wouldn't you have been know as the blacksmith`s apprentice?"

"Well, I was his son and I was eager to learn, so yeah."

"I'm sure you wore one of the most goofiest of outfits."

"Hey, it was an apron. I had to wear it. I didn't have much of a choice."

"Got any other siblings besides Nya?"

"Nope. She's the only sibling I have."

"You know, I always see Jay having his eyes on her. Not being a snoop or anything, but I always see them make cute eye contact at one another."

"I know that. They're dating each other."

"Oh, well that's nice to know. How long have they been dating?"

"Almost two years?"

"He still hasn't propose to her yet?"

"Not yet, but there's no use in doing it now. Not in the middle of all this. It's best to just wait."

Kitty sighed. "You know, I was suppose to wear one of the most beautiful bridesmaids dresses in the whole world yesterday. My brother and Monica were suppose to get married. Now that all this has happen, that day will have to wait for a while. I was so eager to see the happiest day of my brother's life. A bright future was ahead of him. Great things would've happen."

"Don't worry. We'll figure out the cause of all this. As an honorary master of spinjitzu, my team and I will figure this whole thing out. I promise."

"Do you make a lot of promises?"

"Not usually. I seldom do, but I will for you anytime."

Kitty giggled. "Do you like me or something?"

My face was filled with red. People could've mistaken it as a sunburn if they wanted to. "Well, I... I like you as... a good friend. I mean, I like you."

"That's all I wanted to hear." She went back to grabbing things off the shelf, filling up the crate as high as it'll go. "Well, I think that's all the medical supplies we can get our hands on. We'll come back another time. Let's go stock up on some food."

"While we're doing that, why don't you tell me a little bit about you."

"Are you talking about things I like to do or do you want me to talk about my life?"

"Either one or both?" We found the nearest little market that was actually inside a building. It wasn't a big place. It didn't have a big selection anymore. "Wow, this place isn't much. Looks like people beat us here."

"You can say that again." Kitty pointed to a broken window. "I'm pretty sure the doors were opened. Why the heck would you use the window to get inside?"

"At the beginning of an apocalypse, you'll do whatever you can to get your hands on anything. I should know. I've seen plenty of movies."

"I'm pretty sure some of them were horror movies."

"You could say that. So, aren't you gonna tell me anything about yourself?"

"There's not much about me. I grew up in Jamanicai Village."

"Nice place to grow up in."

"Yeah. I had a pretty good amount of friends. I was part of the Jamanicai Village cheerleading squad. One of the reasons I'm in such good shape."

"You can cheer? Show me some moves."

"If I had my pom poms, I would. I don't have them, so I can't."

"I sometimes wish Nya would be a little bit like you. Ignacia has a cheerleading squad, but Nya was never interested in all the girly girl stuff. If anything, she creates more machine weaponry than worry about all that other stuff. Sure, she's always had her amount of crushes, but that was it. That's the only time she would ever act like a girl."

"The only time?"

"Yeah. The only time."

Kitty sighed. "You know, being on the cheerleading squad was how I met Monica. She's a couple of years older than me. Both her and my brother are the same age. When my mom and grandmother met her, they loved her like a daughter. Probably because she was all alone at the time."

"Does you brother know that Monica has a father?"

"Yeah, he knows. Even I know."

"Just wondering."

Kitty placed the last bit of food in the crate. "Well, I guess that's all the food we'll be able to get."

"Whatever fruits here, we'll remove the seeds and grow more."

"It will be paradise forever."

"What kind of fruits do you like?"

"Funny you ask, but I'll tell you, anyway."

We talked on our way back to the village. All my thoughts about what was happening around us vanished. It was the two of us. We were together. I may not have a sixth sense like Zane, but I sense that Kitty and I have the start of a wonderful friendship. Just the two of us.

* * *

 **ONCE AGAIN, LOVE IS IN THE AIR TONIGHT. HOW WONDERFUL! LOVE IS JUST A GREAT THING. ALTHOUGH, EVERYONE IS JUST GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT STILL. IF THEIR GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, WE'RE ALL PRETTY SURE THAT EACH WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER.**

 **WELL, THE WEEKENDS COMING UP. NO SCHOOL FOR THE NEXT FORTY-EIGHT HOURS. AWESOME!**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	40. Zane and Pixal

CHAPTER 39

ZANE AND PIXAL

 **ZANE`S POV:**

La Samana Village wasn't much. It looked cozy, but it looked small and I feared that most of the food and supplies had already been taken during one of the craziest days in all of Ninjago. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around, though. We may find something in the village. We entered inside a building that contained a lot of fabric and sewing materials. I figured that maybe this would do us good. We started gathering a bunch of material. I knew it would be silly to even retrieve such objects, but they may become useful. We didn't care what we were grabbing. We just took things off the shelf and threw it in the crate. I felt as though we were going crazy, but it didn't bother us. Everyone went crazy sometimes. Humans did it, so why not robots?

All this running and grabbing made me feel like my old self. Although my speed had increased, I still felt tired. I sighed. "I feel as though I should take a break. This is becoming tiring."

"We cannot stop, Zane," Pixal said, "We must continue with our work. We still have to search for food."

"Why aren't we doing that? What's the point in collecting all this fabric and sewing material? It's not like we will need it in the near future."

"You never know, Zane. Besides, you were the one that said We should gather this stuff."

"I believe I have made a mistake."

"I believe you are wrong."

I sighed, throwing in the last of the fabric, filling up the crate. "This may be all we can take. Perhaps it will still be here another day."

"I hope so. This may be enough to suit us for some time."

"Let's go find a market."

"A market? My scanner indicates that there is no market on this street. Let us head to the next block."

"There are plenty of markets over here."

"These are fruit stands. My calculations tell me that these fruits have been here for the past three weeks. The contamination has already affected them. If we had gotten here sooner, they may still be safe. Unfortunately, most fruits only last a week or two."

"How did we end up in the conversation about how long fruit lives?"

"You were the one that stated that fruit stands were markets. They simply aren't."

"Why shouldn't they be? They sell food, don't they?"

"Yes, but the only food they sell is produce."

"Produce is still known as food. Why can't a fruit stand also be known as a market?"

"There's a difference, Zane. A market is inside. A fruit stand is outside. Get your facts right."

"I am getting my facts right. Why can't a fruit stand and a market be considered the same thing?"

"They just can't, okay. It's not logical."

"I believe that it should be."

"I believe that it shouldn't."

"I believe that the both of you are about to be taken down." A voice was heard from behind us. We looked to see a man with an eye patch over his right eye. His jet black hair was shaggy. He was wearing clothes that look as though he was in some kind of gang. His face looked as though it was getting a stubble. He had a dark shooter in his right hand. "Look at the two of you. Fighting like an old married couple." His accent sounded Hispanic.

"We are actually dating," I said.

"Zane!" Pixal exclaimed, elbowing me in the arm, "He didn't need to know that."

"Looks like we found a couple of robots that know emotions," the man said.

"Did you just say 'we'?" Pixal asked.

"Yeah, I did. If you haven't noticed my clothing, I'm in a gang." We were quickly surrounded by a bunch of men in the same clothing. Pixal gasped and held onto me tight. The man laughed. "You see, a man's gotta stick with his gang, especially in the middle of an apocalypse. You can't separate one man from the group. That's just not right."

"What do you want from us?" I asked, holding Pixal tight.

"Isn't it obvious?" the man asked, "You stepped into our territory. The village where we all grew up in. We'll be honest with you. We're the only villagers here that survive in this mess."

"That's not true," a voice that sounded like a little girl said, "A few of us did." The voice belonged to a little girl. She removed herself from a dark alley. Her hair was long and a jet black color. She was wearing a purple sweater with a colorful skirt. Her face was dirty as though she had been in a current condition for a while. She looked to be about nine. " _Por favor_. Please pardon my interruption. I come to tell you the truth."

"Mara, I told you to stay in the cellar. Get back in there."

"I don't care what you say, _primo_. I'm tired of being in there. So are my brothers and sisters."

The man sighed. "Do whatever you want. Just know that I'm in change." He looked back at us. "Alright, you two. I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. Explain to us why you're here and I'll let you go. If you don't, it won't be a pretty sight at the end."

" _Primo_ , don't do this!" Mara shouted, "They have done nothing wrong."

"I know what their trying to do, Mara. They're trying to take away our supplies. We need those more than they do."

"Wouldn't it be a nice gesture if we could give them just a little bit?"

"A little bit means a lot. We can't afford to give anything away."

"You're the most hateful person I've ever met, Roberto." Mara hid herself in the shadows of the alley.

"Think of me however you want, Mara. It's not gonna change anything."

"Listen, we only came here for supplies," I said, "Nothing more, nothing less. Let us take what we need and go."

Roberto chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Everything in this village belongs to us. How else are we suppose to feed my cousins?"

"It looks to me like you treat them with unkindness and make them your slaves," Pixal said.

"Why did you say that?" I asked her.

"I'm speaking my mind, Zane."

"You're wrong about that," Roberto said.

"Listen, we explained to you why we came here," I said, "Let us go."

"Really? Should I let you go? I was just about to use target practice on you. Seeing that you're robots, the darts won't affect you." I held Pixal tight in my arms. One moment, Roberto had the mind to take us down. The next moment, he lowered his dart down. "You know what? I'm not gonna take you down."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Roberto gave a look and brought his dart back up. "No, maybe I will. I really do need the target practice. What about the rest of you?" The other gang member brought up their dart shooters. Roberto nodded. "Looks like they had the same idea. Don't worry. Once we had our fun, we'll let you go."

Before they could take us down, something happened with them. I had my eyes closed, so I didn't know what happened. I opened my eyes to see that the gang was taken down by darts in the head. Pixal and I were shocked. We saw somebody trying to come from behind another alley. I took out my blow dart. I looked to see that it was only Wallace, holding throwing darts in his hands.

" _Hola_!" Wallace said, greeting us.

I waved at him. "Hello."

"How did you get here?" Pixal asked.

"The same way you two got here," Wallace said, "I forgot that a gang lived in these parks. Ever since they started taking control, the village has lived in nothing but fear."

"What did you do to them?" I asked, holding Pixal`s hand and leading her to Wallace.

"I took them down with some throwing darts. That'll keep them down for the next eighty-four hours. Once they wake up, those things will already be wandering around. It'll be too late to stop them. They'll be too weak to even try and escape. They'll become one of them."

"They had children with them," Pixal said.

"What?" Wallace asked.

"Those gang member kept children with them," I said, "They were the leader's cousins. They were kept in a cellar."

Wallace walked over to the alley. "Let me take a look. We're taking them back with us. They can't survive here on their own."

Wallace left and retrieved the children from the cellar. It seems that Mara is the oldest. Her two little brothers were twins and her little sisters were the same. They were twins as well. All of them were too young to be out on their own. We decided to forget about what we found and take the children with us. After all, children are more important.

* * *

 **WHOA. LOT OF DRAMA IN THIS CHAPTER. I THINK THIS IS PIXAL AND ZANE`S FIRST FIGHT. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MARKET AND A FRUIT STAND. SERIOUSLY? THE WORSE THING IS BEING SURROUNDED BY A GANG. THAT'S BAD.**

 **LOT'S OF THINGS HAPPENED TODAY. I DON'T FEEL LIKE TALKING ABOUT IT. IT'S BEEN A DAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED READING THIS CHAPTER. THERE'S MORE TO COME. A LOT MORE.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	41. Lloyd, Zelda and Monica

CHAPTER 40

LLOYD, ZELDA AND MONICA

 **LLOYD'S POV:**

Spaintown was huge. It looked like another giant city in Ninjago. I'm pretty sure a lot of people haven't even heard of this place before. Sure, we're only going around on the east side, but still. It's a nice place. I'll have to asked Carol why nobody knows this place now that we've seen it. Okay, no more thinking about the beauty of the city. It's time to get serious. We need to gather food and supplies. I'm pretty sure there's plenty of that here. All we need to do is fill up the three crates and get back to the mansion by noon. Easy enough. I took a look around the city. It had a lot of places where supplies and food were kept. I think the best thing we needed were some weapons. The other two crates could be filled with problem. I'm sure that won't be a problem.

Monica set her crate down. "Okay, where are we going first?"

"I don't know," I said, "This city is so huge, I'm not sure where to start."

"I know where to start," Zelda said, "Going straight back to the mansion."

"Zelda, those things aren't even wandering around," Monica said, "Don't worry. You're safe."

"True, but you never know what else is roaming around here. Who knows? There may be some people here who don't appreciate strangers entering their territory."

"I'm pretty sure nobody is even in the city," I said, "Your mind is playing tricks on you."

"Tricks on me?" Zelda asked, "I'm pretty sure my mind is cleared from all the negative vibes."

"Tell you what, girls. Let's split up. Monica can go her own way to find food while Zelda and I find weapons and supplies."

"I don't think splitting up is a good idea," Monica said.

"Come on, Monica," I said, "The sooner we get everything we need, the sooner we get back home."

"I would love to return back soon, Monica," Zelda said.

Monica sighed. "Okay, but here are the rules. We stay on this block. No funny business and no goofing off. We get what we need and we meet back here in half an hour. Got it?"

"Got it," I said.

"Of course," Zelda said.

"Okay," Monica said, "See you in half an hour."

Zelda and I went inside the weapons shop that was on the block. There was a bunch in there, but there was a whole aisle of darts and all that other stuff. We started stocking up on a bunch of that stuff. The silence was just killing me. I had to bring in a little noise.

"So, Zelda, how have things been going with you?" I asked.

"Good," Zelda said, "No, wait. It's bad. No, it was ecstatic. Oh, just don't ask. Nothing has been good."

"Is everything okay, Zelda?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"I thought maybe it would be nice to help you out. There has to be something wrong."

"Listen, there is nothing wrong with. I've been through a lot and I just want to try and forget about it. Can everyone just leave me alone? It's not like I wanted to be paired up with you or anything."

"I know you didn't ask if you want to stick with me, but sometimes you just gotta stick with the person you're with. You may never have a choice when it comes to splitting up."

"I'll have a choice. If I don't have it, then I'd rather just join up with the wanderers."

"Don't say that. If you keep thinking that, it might happen."

"I have too much fear. No doubt I'll be able to help anyone with anything. I'm not an experienced fighter. I don't know how to used things that involve darts or anything like that."

"Then we can teach you."

"By saying we, I believe you actually mean you."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I meant to say we for a reason."

"I suppose you are not experienced with darts, either."

I chuckled nervously. "No, not really."

"Well, I'm not very sure how you made it through this whole thing."

"You should say that about yourself. You've hid through the whole thing."

"Oh, yeah. What have you done the whole time?"

"I've stick with my friends and family. That's how I survive. We work together in a group. It's better than being alone. I don't know how you survive doing that."

"If I had a family, it would be much easier to survive. Unfortunately, I don't."

"Well, you have friends."

"Who would those friends be?"

"Monica. Me. The people I know."

Zelda gave me a look. "I've always wondered. Why do you wear a ninja gi? Are you a ninja or something?"

"Yes, I am. I'm actually the second spinjitzu master."

"The second spinjitzu master? I've heard the story of how he became the hero that he is today. Defeating his father and facing the Overlord with bravery. Are you really the legendary golden ninja?"

"I sure am."

"Oh, I can't believe I'm in the presence of the legendary golden ninja. I suppose you are wondering why I'm not screaming like a fan girl."

"Well, it's kind of nice that you didn't, but I'd still like to know."

"Well, for one thing, I'm not that type of person. Another thing is I've always been taught to play it cool in front of a celebrity."

"I'm not much of a celebrity. I'm just a normal person. Sure I'm a ninja, but I'm just like everyone else."

"Every celebrity says that, but most people don't seem to understand it."

"You've got a point." I had figured something out with the snap of a finger. "Wait a second. You said that you didn't have a family, but you're the governor's daughter. Do you not consider them as your family?"

"Of course not. I've never considered them as family. They are not my real family. I was adopted by them after my biological mother decided to give me to them. Unfortunately, the governor couldn't have children of his own, so I had to be given to him."

"Haven't you always heard the phrase that DNA doesn't make a family?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean the only thing that makes a family is love."

"I've never seen my adopted father show me any kind of love. He's always too busy to ever spend time with me. You'll see what I mean, soon."

"Soon. What do you mean soon?"

"Well, the government has the cure. They've been hiding it from everyone. They won't reveal it unless the president gets bit. Or unless my father gets bit."

"So unless somebody important gets bit, they won't give us the cure?"

"That's right."

"That's ridiculous."

"It certainly is. That's actually why I ran away. I'm pretty sure my father's protective men are trying to find me, but I would really care less. It's my choice to come out here and see how everyone is suffering. If I convince them enough, I might persuade them to give us the cure. I'll make sure they hand it over."

"You're depending on something bad happening, aren't you?"

"I sure am. It may be bad that I'm thinking about that, but what else can I do to make my father hand it over? That's all I know how to do."

I sighed. "It makes me think that you'll be pushing everyone away again now that you told me all this."

"Of course not. All you need to do is teach me how to use a blow dart and do whatever I can to help you. I'll do whatever you want. I promise. I am officially under your command."

"You don't have to be under anybody's command. You can control yourself. All you can do is help."

"Is that the only thing I'm good at is helping?"

"I'm sure that's not the only thing your good at. Tell me about yourself."

"Why should I? There's nothing interesting about me."

"I'm pretty sure there is. Come on. Tell me."

"Oh, my. Look at the time. Well, we better go back and meet Monica. Let's not waste anymore time. Come along, Lloyd."

I sighed, carrying the crate of weapons out of the building. Something's up with Zelda and I need to find out what it is. I really don't want to forget about everything I heard just now. I'm gonna figure out what's going on. I'll do whatever it takes.

* * *

 **ZELDA AND LLOYD WILL NEED SOME TIME TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER. AND GET ALONG, IF YOU KNIW WHAT I MEAN. NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ABOUT OUR FAVORITE COUPLE. THAT'S RIGHT. JAY AND NYA.**

 **WELL, GOTTA GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.**

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	42. Jay and Nya

CHAPTER 41

JAY AND NYA

 **NYA`S POV:**

I feel as though the side of Spaintown was where a bunch of gang members hung out at night. I shuddered at the thought. Jay saw this and placed his hand in mine. I blushed a bit. Even though we've been dating for almost a year, I still seem to always feel a bit embarrassed by a gentle touch of Jay`s soft hands. We had already found as much food as we could and we were on our way back to the Dominez`s mansion. We decided to take a break since it wasn't even close to noon yet. My feet were starting to get sore and my shoulders were a bit tense. I was tired for some reason, but I'm not sure why. I guess it's because I've been up for half the night because I was afraid that dream would come back. The sky was a beautiful one. Even though the ground was covered with those horrifying creatures, the world couldn't be as more beautiful as it is now. I leaned my head on Jay`s shoulder. He placed his soft, delicate hand on my cheek. This time, I didn't blush.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I let Jay talk. "You know, there may be some scary things in the world, but I would do anything in my power to make sure the world is safe for as many people as possible."

I sighed peacefully. "I understand. If there was a way to end all this, would you step up and help take it down?"

"Of course I would. I would do anything to make sure Ninjago is safe once more. I'd especially do it for you."

"If anything were to happen at this exact moment and I was the main target, would you take me place?"

"Of course. I'd take a sword through the chest for you."

"You would?"

"Of course I would. I'm not selfish."

"Well, then, let me test you. If we ever got stranded on a deserted island and there was only enough fruit fir one person, would you keep it for yourself or would you give it to me?"

"Simple. I'd give it to you. I'd rather starve than see you starve."

"Perhaps you would've just cut it in half."

"No, I'd just give to you as a whole piece."

"Are you sure that's what you'd do?"

"Yes."

"Okay, next question. If we were on a mountain and I was hanging off the edge and your sword was the same way also and we were both about to fall, who or what would you save?"

"I would save you. You're way more important than some weapon. If I had to fight, I'd use my bare hands."

"If you had already saved me, but your sword was not even close to falling, would you still get it?"

"Maybe, but it depends on what's going on. If that part of the mountain was about to collapse, I'd get us both the heck out of there."

"So far, so sweet. Okay, one more question. If there was one more spot on a lifeboat and the ship is about to sink and the both of us were still on the ship, which one of us would take that spot on the lifeboat?"

"I'd give that spot to you any day. I'd rather go down with the ship."

"Even if you were the one that was captain of the ship."

"Haven't you ever heard the old saying? A captain always goes down with his ship. That means if the ship is sinking, the captain sinks as well."

"I can't quiz you anymore. You keep answering every single question right. I don't know what else to ask."

"I get it. You ran out of questions. Nya, you have to understand that I would do anything for you. Whether it's taking a sword to the chest, saving you from falling off the edge of a mountain, or even giving you the last spot on the lifeboat and going down with the ship myself, I'll always be there to save you. I'd much rather you be alive than lose you."

"Oh, Jay. I've never heard you say anything like that before."

"Well, you never asked me certain questions like that before."

"I guess I haven't, huh?"

"I hope that's the last conversation you ever have with each other," a voice said. The voice sounded familiar to me.

Jay stood up, blocking me and removing his dart gun from his side. "Who's out there? Show yourself."

"I'm pretty sure you know good and well who I am, blue ninja." The voice belonged to the one and only Pythor.

I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, unfortunately, the cabin that we were staying at was taken away from us by a very large group of humans. They're also the strongest I've ever seen. Without an explanation, we were forced to leave the cabin. Now we have nowhere to go and we've been wandering around for the past two days."

"Why should we feel any sympathy for you?" Jay asked, tightening the dart gun in his hand.

"We need a new place to live. A place very large and delicate place to live, of course."

"Why do you need a bigger place?"

"Look at the size of my army. We need a lot of room in order to live around each other."

"There's something else. I know there is. Tell us what's really going on."

Pythor sighed angrily. "Looks as though I can't keep the secret any longer. I might as well just tell you. If you must know, I need a large place to put our greatest creation invented by the boss."

"Who's the boss?"

"That's none of your business. I will say that the creation was one of the reason why all this happen."

"Where's the creation? I wanna see it."

"It's not with us right now. We had to leave it at the cabin. For the time being, we're searching for a place where we can put it."

"Not unless we get it first."

"I beg to differ." Before my very eyes, Pythor slung his sword right at Jay`s left eyes, injuring it. I would've thought that he lost the sight of it. Once he fell, I ran to his side, tears streaming from my eyes. Pythor chuckled evilly. "This is what happens when you try to take something away from an Anacondrai. I'm sure you'll be distracted for the time being. Let's go, my army."

I was on my knees next to Jay on the ground. Pythor and his army disappeared from our view. I looked down at Jay, gently rubbing his head with my soft hands. I did my best to keep away from his injured eye. Tears fell from my eyes, seeing the kind of pain that Jay was in. He held the hand that I used to rub his forehead. "It's alright, Nya. I'll be okay. There's no reason to be worried."

"I'm scared of what might happen to you," I said.

"I'll be okay. We just need to get back to the mansion."

"How? I can't drag you all the way there. You weigh more than I do."

"Leave me here then and go find the other. I'm sure they'll help me."

"I don't wanna leave you here alone. I'm scared Pythor will come back and do something worse to you."

"I'd rather him do that than do anything to you."

I started sobbing. "You would do anything for me, would you?"

"I'll always be there for you, Nya. I already told you that."

"I know, but I think it's best for them to come find us. I'm sure they'll become worried when they see that we don't return back at the same time with everyone else. In the meantime, let me do what I can to care for your eye."

I found a damp rag in my bag and placed it over Jay`s eye. He grunted a bit, but placed his hand on the rag to keep it in place. "Thanks. It's the best we can do. I'm a bit worried about my eye, though."

"I really don't want you to lose sight in it."

"If I do, I'll be able to handle it."

I continued crying. Jay placed his arm around me, letting me lie on his shoulder. A couple of hours had passed before Kai and Cole came out to find us. Kai was horrified at what happened to Jay and said he was worried about both of us. Slinging Jays arms around each of them, Kai and Cole carried Jay back to the mansion with me following all three of them.

When we returned, Zane was standing in front of the house along with Wallace and Carol.

Carol gasped at the sight. "What happened to Jay?"

"I'll explain later," I said, "He got hurt by the slash of a sword. Can any of you help him?"

"I'll do what I can," Zane said.

"So will I," Wallace said, "Everyone wait down here. This may take a little while."

While Wallace and Zane took Jay upstairs, Kai placed a hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Nya. Jay will be fine."

I embraced my brother with a hug full of pain and worry. I started crying, shaking in my brother's arms. Let's just hope that Kai is right. I can't lose Jay like this. I just can't.

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER WAS PRETTY ROMANTIC. I WILL SAY THAT. THE WAY THAT JAY WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR NYA AND ALL THAT. WELL, HE ACTUALLY DID TODAY. JAY WOULD RATHER LOSE AN EYE THAN RISK NYA GETTING HURT. ALTHOUGH NYA DOESN'T WANT JAY TO LOSE SIGHT IN HIS LEFT EYE, THINGS WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED NORMAL.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ENOUGH OF ME FOR TONIGHT.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	43. Only Seeing Half The World

CHAPTER 42

ONLY SEEING HALF THE WORLD

 **NYA`S POV:**

It felt like hours had passed by. By the looks of the sun, it was going to get dark soon. I saw some children playing in the other room, giggling and having a bit of fun. From what I was told, they were all siblings. The oldest was Mara, but the names of the other children is unknown. I was figiting around a lot. One moment I was sitting down and the next moment I was pacing the floor. There was actually a moment where I just broke down and cried. At least I had some people to help comfort me. I finally calmed down. Now I was lying on the couch while everyone else was enjoying dinner. I told them that I wasn't hungry and remained in the living room. I was too worried about Jay to eat. Thinking about Jay just made me break down again. Crying was just the only thing I could think of.

Carol must have heard me because she came in the living room, extending an arm to help me sit up. "Nya, I know how you're feeling. It's difficult to go through certain things like this."

Continuing to sob, I held my arm out for her to help me sit up. "I don't wanna lose Jay like this. I don't even want him to lose his eye."

"Well, Nya, when you're in the midst of some kind of battle, there's always something to lose."

"I just don't wanna lose Jay. He's all I have. I love him more than any other man in this world."

"I know how you feel. Things like this happen everyday. Something's gonna happen to someone. Usually those certain things are good. Tell me, what do you think is good? If a certain situation were to ever happen in your life that is good, what would it be?"

"Well, maybe if he ever proposes to me, we could have a lot of wedding issues to plan. If I told him we were expecting a baby, we would have the stress of going out and buying a bunch of baby things."

"See? Even situations can become good things. I'll tell you this, Nya. Even if Jay does lose sight in his left eye, he'll always be the same man you know and love. Nothing will ever change about him."

I wiped a tear away. "I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?"

I heard a door close upstairs. The others must have heard it, too, because everyone came inside the living room. The children remained in the dining room, finishing up their dinner. I looked to see Zane and Wallace come down. Wallace was wiping blood off his hands while Zane took off a pair of gloves that he was using to aid Jay`s eyes.

I looked at them, more tears forming in my eyes. "Is he gonna be alright?"

"Well, there's some good news and bad news," Wallace said, "The good news is that Jay will live. The bad news is... we had to sew Jay`s left eye closed. The inside of his eye was just slit in half. We were lucky to have the correct tools in order to work with helping it. It won't get infected, though. It should stick to being the way it is for now. It still has to heal, though. We will never be able to open it up, though. We don't want anything else happening to it, so we have to keep it closed up."

"So I guess he's lost the sight in his left eye," I said.

"I'm afraid so, Nya," Zane said, "We're sorry."

I sighed. "Can I see him?"

"You can, but we put him to sleep," Wallace said, "We didn't have anesthetics, so we had to use chamomile tea. The drowsiest tea of all seems to work for medical reasons. He'll wake up, though."

"That's all I needed to know. I'll be up there for a little bit."

I walked upstairs, searching for the room that Jay was in. I never bothered to ask which room they placed him in. I finally found it. The Jay I knew was because Jay had let out a loud groan, letting somebody know that he was awake. That somebody was me, obviously. I walked inside, seeing him lying in the bed. His head was propped up a bit with pillows surround his whole upper body. His left eye was completely covered up in a white bandage. I supposed the guys changed him into a pair of his pajamas since that was all I saw him wearing. He opened up the one eye that he had and tried to look straight at me. It was hard to turn his head in a certain direction so I had to go on his right side to where he could see me better. He smiled at me, which made me do the same.

"Hey, beautiful," Jay said.

"Hello, handsome," I said.

"I missed you."

"I wasn't gone for that long. Did you want me up here?"

"I wouldn't make you see what was going on, but it would've been nice to have someone help relieve the pain. Even though I was asleep, I could still feel it."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I could hold back another sob. I began crying once more.

"Hey, what's the matter? There's nothing to be upset about. Everything's okay. I'm still here." Jay placed his hand in mine. "I'll always be here."

"I know, but it makes me feel as though it's my fault that all this happened to you."

"None of this was your fault. Don't blame yourself. I decided to take what was coming to me. Even if it meant losing my left eye, I'll do anything for you. You know that. We even talked about that earlier today."

"Why do we have to live in such a world filled with pain and fear?"

"I wish I knew, babe." He patted the bed, wanting me to lie down next to him.

"I don't think I should, Jay. You really need to rest."

"I'll have plenty of time to rest. Come on up here."

Seeing as though he was literally begging, I climbed in and laid down next to him. He pulled the covers up for me, placing an arm around me while placing my head on his chest. I looked up at him. "I'd rather just use a pillow."

"You won't hurt me. I'm not in that much pain. They say I have to rest, but what good does that do? We're in the middle of an apocalyptic world."

"It helps a lot, Jay. You just need to see that."

"Well, I lost an eye, so it's kind of hard to see that."

I sighed. "Are you making a joke?"

"Yes, I am. What, I can't kid around with you anymore?"

"No, you can. I'll just have to get used to all your one eyed puns."

Jay laughed, kissing me on the forehead. "I won't use them too often."

"I know." I yawned. This has just been one tireful day.

"Sleepy?"

"A little bit, but not too much."

"Do you mind staying up here with me for the night? I don't really wanna be alone."

"That's why I came up here. I don't wanna have to leave your side for another moment."

"Are you scared something might happen to me?"

"Yeah, that's the reason."

"I understand. Since you're not sleepy, let's talk a little bit."

"Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"I'll be alright. I've been sleeping half the day."

"You can't sleep now?"

"I don't think tonight is one of those nights to sleep for now. My eye is throbbing a bit."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I'll be okay."

"Listen, if they ask us to go back out tomorrow, I'm not going with anyone. I'm staying here with you."

"You don't have to stay here with me. I'm not forcing you or anything."

"I know, but I don't wanna be too far away from you. What if something else happens? I don't wanna go out there and get hurt. I've seen the experiences that have happened."

"Hey, you're a strong girl. I know you can do it. How else were you able to get back to us?"

"I had a little help from some good people. I didn't do it all by myself."

"Okay, forget I said that."

"Listen, Jay, it's my choice whether or not I wanna stay here or go out. I'm staying here with you. Don't even try and fight with me about it."

"Well, it's your choice. I can't say anything against it."

"Thank you, Jay. Now do you mind getting some sleep?"

"Do I have to?"

"Don't act like a child to me. It's time for you to get some rest."

"Will you rest with me?"

I giggled. "Of course I will."

I gave Jay a light kiss and laid down right next to him. He wrapped his arm around me. I laid against his chest, my hand wrapped around Jay`s. I knew our love would stick to being strong with a bunch of happiness. Nothing could ever split us apart.

* * *

 **WELL, AT LEAST JAY WILL LIVE. EVEN THOUGH HE LOST THE USE OF HIS LEFT EYE, HE'LL LIVE. NYA WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM AND THINGS WILL BE NORMAL FOR EVERYONE.**

 **LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING, ISN'T IT?**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	44. Arguments and Leaving

CHAPTER 43

ARGUMENTS AND LEAVING

 **NYA`S POV:**

I woke up the next day feeling like I had the best sleep of my life. I didn't have any weird dreams, my eyes didn't feel tired like they usually did and I was sleeping next to the greatest boyfriend any girl would dream of having. I'm glad to be that girl. Jay was still sleeping when I woke up. I took a good look at his eye. I was ready to go ahead and face the fact that there was no way to fix it. The best thing I could do was find an eye patch for him once the bandages could be removed. I smiled at him and his sleeping form, kissing him lightly on the cheek. I removed myself from bed and walked quietly out of the room, taking one last look at Jay before leaving downstairs for breakfast. I made the choice not to eat dinner last night due to the fact that Jay was hurt last night and I was too worried about him than thinking about eating food.

I walked into the kitchen where I saw Carol whipping up some breakfast. She turned around to look at me. "Morning, Nya. Did you sleep well last night? Kitty started worrying about you when she didn't see you come to bed."

"Oh, I was with Jay last night," I said, "I was keeping my eyes on him to make sure nothing was wrong. I hope you don't mind."

"What were you doing up there?"

"Nothing. I went up to see him, cried a little, he let me lie down next to him, we talked a little bit and suddenly fell asleep."

"That's all?"

"That's it. We weren't doing anything else. He was hurt last night."

"I know. I was just making sure."

Kitty walked into the kitchen a moment later. "Morning, girls. Where were you last night, Nya?"

"With Jay," I said.

Kitty shrugged and sat down at the table. "Okay. I was just wondering."

"You're not gonna ask if anything else was going on. I'm pretty sure you have something else to say."

"No. I figured you would keep your eyes on him all night. After all, you two have a huge crush on each other."

"Why would I still have a crush on him? I've been dating him for a year and a half. I love him with all my heart."

"I'm just kidding, Nya. You can't take a joke?"

"I can take Jay`s jokes."

Kitty sighed. "Is he starting to create eye jokes now?"

"Yeah, but I'll get used to them."

"Nya, I'm sorry about everything that's happened to Jay, but you shouldn't worry about that too much. There are moments when you have to start worrying about yourself. I know that seems hard to understand, but your life can't revolve around all the time."

"I know that."

"Then why are you starting to become so clingy?"

"I'm not becoming clingy around Jay. When you've loved someone for a long while, you just can't stand to be away from them for so long."

"Nya, I'm just doing whatever I can to help you. If you start to have thoughts that you shouldn't be having, then come and find me. I'll try to help you the best of my ability."

"I'll keep my mind open about it."

"Thanks, Nya."

Carol walked over towards Kitty. "Kitty, do you mind taking breakfast into the dining room? It's only a couple of plates."

"I guess so." Kitty got up and started taking plates to the dining room.

Carol grabbed my hands. "Come on, Nya. Let's you and me go into the living room for a minute and have a little talk."

"Are you gonna tell me the same thing Kitty did?" I asked.

"No, this is completely different. Come on."

We walked into the living room. We sat down on the couch, but before we could say anything, I heard the voice of my brother and Gregory.

"Why didn't you just tell us all of this before?" Gregory asked angrily, "We would've never let you into this house if you had told us you were that."

"You don't have the right to be eavesdropping on other people's conversation," Kai yelled.

"I have the right to do whatever I please. This is originally my house."

"You don't seem to be leading anybody in it anymore. Why should anything be considered yours?"

"I grew up in this house. You didn't."

"Guys, what is going on with you two?" Carol asked, getting in between the two fighting boys.

"I figured it out, Carol. These guys aren't who we thought they were," Gregory said.

"What does it matter to you?" Kai said, "We needed a place to live and Carol was nice enough to let us stay with all of you. Would it really matter whether or not we're ninja?"

"Yes, it does. If you live with someone, you'll bring every kind of evil around you."

"Wait a second," Carol said, "You guys are the ninja? Is this true, Nya?"

"Well, yes, but I'm not a ninja," I said, "I'm Samurai X."

"That's even worse," Gregory said.

"It's not that bad, Gregory," Carol said, "As long as they're here, they might be able to help us in case something ever happened. We need to learn to trust other people, _mi hermano._ "

"In this world, you can't trust anyone."

"Who's in charge here?"

"It should be me."

"Well, it's not."

"Listen to me. I don't care if they're the heroes of Ninjago or not. I don't trust them. I want them out of this house by the end of the day."

"Guess what? I don't care. You don't have the authority to kick anybody out of this house. I do. They're welcomed to stay here for as long as they like."

"Well, I'm not staying here if you allow them to live here."

"Stop acting like that, Gregory. You're not a little kid anymore. You're a grown adult. Start acting like one."

"Well, it seems that I'm the youngest of the triplets. Why can't I act like a little kid whenever I want."

"You don't need to act like one. I forbid it."

"I don't care what you say."

"Well, if you don't care, then you should just get out."

Hearing her say those words made my heart thump a loud beat in my chest. Gregory`s face went red at first, but he finally calmed himself down. "You know what? You're right. I should leave. I don't belong here. I see how you feel. I'll go find somewhere else to live."

"Gregory, I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I know what you want. You want me to leave. I get it. You're tired of me being here. You can't stand me anymore and all that. You don't like the way I do things and you hate the way I treat everybody in this world. I understand. If you want me to pack up my things and leave, I'll do that. I don't mind leaving at all. It'll give me some time to think about thing. I'll go and pack up my things."

Gregory descended upstairs, disappearing as he made his way to the third floor. Carol looked at me. "I guess I did what I had to do."

"I'm sorry, Carol," I said.

"No, it's alright. That's not the first time he's ever done that. He's left plenty of times, but he always seems to come crawling back."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine. He'll be back eventually. I know it. All he does is take one of his bags and leaves for a couple of days, but he always comes back. It's kind of a normal routine in this house. There are times when I don't expect him at breakfast every morning."

"Carol, this doesn't have to be a regular thing, especially during the middle of an apocalypse. What if something happens to him?"

"Don't worry. There was a time when he came home with scrapes and bruises all over his body, but he survived. It's not like he'll be kidnapped or anything."

"You never know that, Carol."

"Well, that's what you think."

Kitty exited out of the dining room. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, but I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to eat cold food. Come and get it while it's still hot."

"I'm getting kind of hungry," Kai said, "Come on, you two."

That was the actual reason why I came downstairs. I was hungry after not eating dinner last night. That's what I planned to do was eat something. I finally get the chance to do that.

* * *

 **WOW. MORE DRAMA ENTERING WITH THIS FAMILY. GREGORY HAS SOME REALLY BIG ISSUES. I WISH HE WOULD GET OVER THEM. SOMETIMES I REALLY WISH THAT KAI DIDN'T THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS WHEN DRAMA HAPPENS. HE JUST DOESN'T LIKE TO BE AROUND IT.**

 **TODAY HAS BEEN SO TIRING. I REALLY NEED TO GO TO BED. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	45. A Normal, Horrifying Day

CHAPTER 44

A NORMAL, HORRIFYING DAY

 **NYA`S POV:**

The morning passed by pretty fast. I spent some of it with Jay, who was starting to get better by the minute. He said his eye wasn't hurting him as much as it was before, but the throbbing usually came up every now and then. At least he was being honest. By the time mid morning came, Gregory had his bags packed up and ready to go. I didn't go all the way downstairs to see all that was happening. All Gregory did was hug Carol and then walked out the door, never to be seen after that moment. I wouldn't really say never to be seen again because I'm pretty sure he may come back. I saw Carol quickly walk into the kitchen. I almost thought I could hear her crying as I went into the kitchen myself. She was crying. Digging through the cabinet, she found herself some herbal tea.

I walked into the kitchen, watching Carol go crazy with everything she was doing. I sighed, walking over to her. "Carol, I know you're upset, but I just want you to know one thing. If no one else will be there for you, I will."

Carol wrapped her arms around me. "I don't know what else to do, Nya. I've tried everything I can to make Gregory listen to me, but he always seems to have a mind of his own or something. He never listens to anything I say, no matter what I do."

"Carol, it's kind of hard for a brother to ever listen to his sister. I should know. Half the times, my brother never listens to me."

"How do you get a stubborn brother to listen to you? I just want to know. How?"

"There's no way to make a stubborn brother listen to his younger sister. You have to wait for the brother to start listening to you."

"Gregory`s different from all the other brothers in this world. Listen, Nya, I know you're trying to help, but nothing you say is true about Gregory. He never listens to a word anyone says. He always leaves and comes back because he wants to take over the family business, but my daddy wants to give it to Wallace because for one thing he's better at understanding the certain things that my daddy's business does and he's pretty much a genius. As long as Wallace gets the business, then Gregory will continue being jealous and always act like a baby in order to finally get what he wants. Now he's gone and there's nothing I can do about it. I wish I could do something about it, but he never listens to me so why do I even try? I don't know why I'm talking so much. I can't calm down. Now I'm getting a headache, I'm starting to go crazy and I don't know what else to do for Gregory. I gave up. I'm done." Carol sank down to her knees, sobbing loudly. I was worried that the whole house would hear her. I extends my hand to help her up. She accepted it, grabbing both my heads. "I don't know what else to do, Nya. It's like live given up on ever trying to help Gregory."

"It's okay, Carol. The first thing you need to do is calm down. I understand that you're upset, but going nuts about it doesn't work." I grabbed a handkerchief from the counter. "Here. Why don't we wipe away those tears and ease that headache of yours. Crying is what causes headaches to come along."

"Alright." She started wiping away her tears. "The tea should be done by now." She grabbed a cup from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. She poured the tea in a teapot and started pouring it in her cup. She looked over at me. "Would you like some, Nya?"

"No, thank you. You look as though you need it more than I do."

"Alright." She took a sip and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry, Nya. I don't know what got over me. Every time something like this happens, I freak out. It takes a while for my brothers to calm me down."

"What usually keeps you calm, Carol?"

"Well, this is step one. Usually the second step is either do a little painting or taking a long nap. Usually, taking a nap would be better."

"Would you like to go ahead and take one?"

"If you think it'll help."

"I know it will. You just need to relax, Carol. Don't worry. I'm sure Gregory will come back. You said that he always does."

"There's something that you should know about that. It usually takes about a week or so for Gregory to even think about coming home."

"Where does he go, anyway?"

"I don't know. He doesn't tell anyone. He says that it's hid secret place."

"Secret place?"

"Yeah. He never tells anyone about it. I wish I knew where he went."

"Well, why don't you get some sleep and keep in mind whether or not you wanna go look for him tomorrow."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"It's kind of hard to figure out where he went. Nobody could ever find him. There was actually a time where they tried searching a dragon's cave, but they knew good and well that he wasn't in there. That dragon was too dangerous to even be near humans. I guess it has something to do with protecting its young."

"Maybe. It's usually the female dragons that become more dangerous than the males."

"Well, I'll sleep on it." Carol set her cup down on the table. I placed it in the sink. I led Carol upstairs and brought her into her bedroom. She placed herself in bed. "Thanks for helping me, Nya."

"I'll do anything for a friend."

"I'll keep my mind on wanting to go out and find Gregory."

"I know you'll think of something."

"I will. I won't be asleep long."

"Sleep as long as you want."

Carol closed her eyes and fell asleep in a wink. I left the bedroom and walked down the hall to check up on Jay. I looked into his room to see him sitting up in bed reading the book that I brought in there for him in case he got board.

He looked to see me in the doorway and closed the book. "Hey, Nya. Is everything okay?"

"It is now," I said.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Gregory left."

"Why?"

"He's mad because he can't lead his own family. At least that's what Carol told me."

"Is she okay?"

"She is now. She started crying about it, but I calmed her down. She's mapping right now. I'm sure she'll be freshener up by the time she's awake."

"I'm pretty sure of that, too. You know this book that you gave me?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"It's really interesting. I've never read anything like it before."

"It's a mystery novel, Jay. Haven't you ever read a book before?"

"No, not a lot of them, but it this keeps me from being bored, I'll take reading over anything else any day."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Jay."

"I'm glad I'm enjoying it, too."

"I figured it would be hard to read, though."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you lost an eye. I figured it would be hard to do certain things. Reading would be one of them."

"No, it's not a problem. I started on chapter one this morning. Now I'm one chapter five."

"You got farther than I thought you would. I guess this is exercise for your right eye. It's only to make sure that you can still see out of it."

"If you wanna make sure I can still see, why don't you just test me?"

"Okay." I held up one of my hands. "Which hand am I holding up?"

"The right one."

"Wow. You answered that quickly. Let me try something else." I grabbed the book he was reading. "What color is the cover of this book?"

"Blue."

"Correct. Okay, one more thing." I walked over to the light switch and started flicking it. "Is the light on or off?"

"Well, it turned off. There's no power or electricity to keep it turned on."

"I give up. You can still see. I won't test you anymore. You passed the test."

"Congratulations to me."

"Here. I'll go and fix you some tea."

"Sounds good."

We gave each other a quick kiss. I walked out of the room and went straight to the kitchen. When I went downstairs, I thought I could hear moaning noises from outside. I went over to one of the windows to see something that I was afraid to see. The wandering snakes were right in the backyard.

* * *

 **UH OH. LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME MORE SNAKES. THIS TIME ITS SNAKE WANDERERS. IS THERE A WAY TO GET RID OF THE SNAKES IN THIS STORY? I FEAR THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AGAIN.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	46. What To Do With Snake Wanderers

CHAPTER 45

WHAT TO DO WITH SNAKE WANDERERS

 **NYA`S POV:**

When I saw those snake wanderers outside, I knew it had to be bad. Something was going on. I didn't have a choice but to go and find Sensei. That's the only person that can help me. I went upstairs to see if I could find him meditating. I went from room to room, but he wasn't in any of them. I had a feeling that he wasn't anywhere upstairs so I ran back downstairs. When I did, he wasn't in any of the room. He wasn't in the living room, either. I knew he wasn't in the kitchen because I was just in there. The last place I could check was the dining room. I ran in there and breathed a sigh of relief to see Sensei Wu sitting at the head of the table all alone, drinking tea with his teapot sitting in front of him. When he saw me barg in, he turned his head in my direction.

"Yes, Nya," Sensei said.

"Sensei, you have to take a look out the window," I said, breathing heavily.

"I know. The snake wanderers are out there. I saw them this morning."

"Didn't some of the guys go out there this morning? We need someone to go out and find them. We can't just leave them out there."

"Relax, Nya. There is nothing to worry about. The guys will be home soon. Besides, the snake wanderers are in the backyard. If they are fenced in, there is no way for them to harm us."

"I don't think they should be out there. How did they get here?"

"Nya, why do you think they're called wanderers? They wander around when there's no one to bite and nothing to do. They may be dangerous, but they're not as harmful as you think they are."

"How are they not harmful? They bite others."

"Yes, but biting is not considered harmful all the time. There are times when it usually is, but some people prefer to join the other path in life."

I sighed. "I can't let these things stay out here."

"I believe the best thing you can do for now is do something that will keep you calm. I suggest you make Jay some lunch. Isn't that why you came down here in the first place?"

"Yeah. That's why I'm here. I better go and do that."

I walked into the kitchen and started making Jay some lunch. I was feeling hungry myself so I started fixing myself something as well. I heard the door of the kitchen open. It was Carol, who had a look of fear on her face. She kept breathing calmly, though. I suppose it helps her calm down and make it seem like those things weren't out there. I guess Misako helped her believe those fears wouldn't get hurt by calming her down. Whatever the case, it worked like a charm.

She started looking through the cabinet to find some tea. I forgot that I was making tea, so I tapped Carol on the shoulder to show her. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the table, still breathing in and out and keeping herself calm. "Sorry, I'm trying to keep myself calm. I just need to imagine that those things aren't out there. If I believe, then there's nothing to worry about."

"It's good that you're keeping yourself calm," I said.

"Yeah, it is."

The door of the kitchen opened up to reveal Cole. He was breathing heavily. I suppose he was out of breath considering that his face was red and he ran inside. He walked up to the table. "Guys, we encourage you to stay inside."

"We know," I said, "Those snake wanderers are out there."

"I just wanted to let you know that we're going to take care of them. Just stay inside and continue doing what you're doing. We'll be a few minutes."

"Would you like some water first?"

"No time for that. Don't worry. We won't take long."

Cole walked out of the kitchen, leaving Carol and I alone. The tea was finished making so I poured both myself and Carol a cup. I took Carol`s cup over to the table as she began to sip it. She sighed peacefully. "Thank you. _Grasias._

"You're welcome," I said.

Carol got up from the table. "I'm going up to my room. I feel as though I'll stay calm if I'm in a comfortable area."

"If you think that'll help you."

"It will. I feel it in my heart."

"Well, just try to stay calm and don't think about it."

"Alright." Carol walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs, breathing in and out calmly as she made her way to her bedroom.

I started hearing noises outside. I looked to see that a bunch of those snake wanderers started walking in a group together, which means that the guys must be out there trying to take them all down. I saw a few of them getting taken down by darts. One by one, I could see each snake fall flat on the ground by the shot of a dart. I knew I shouldn't be watching this, but I was just interested to know what happens. One of the snakes started bleeding out when it was taken down. I had to stop looking. It would make me become sick. By that time, I wouldn't be able to eat anything and I knew I'd be hungry soon.

I finished making lunch for Jay and I. Once I placed the cups on the tray I picked it up and was just about to carry it upstairs before I looked out the window again. I set the tray down on the table and walked over to the window. This time, I saw that most of the snakes had been taken down. There was one last snake that was standing. It looked directly at me. Before it could even think about running up to the window, it was shot with a dart straight to the head. I didn't get a chance to see it fall to its doom. I grabbed the tray from off the table and hurried upstairs to Jay`s room.

I walked over to Jays door that was only halfway opened. I looked inside to see him sleeping. I suppose he's been resting for about an hour or so. This was a good time to wake him up so I walked inside and set the tray down on the empty nightstand. I placed my hand on Jay`s shoulder and gently shook him awake. When he opened his eyes, he smiled when he saw that it was me."

"Hey, beautiful," Jay said.

"Hey, handsome," I said.

"What's the matter? You look as though you just saw a ghost."

"A few snake wanderers came around here in the backyard. The guys took care of it, though."

Jay sighed. "I wish I could help them out. Instead, I have to stay here in bed and rest my eye. What's the point in resting my eye if I know good and well that I'll never be able to receive my sight back in it? I'm sure I can still help out."

"I don't think so, Jay. Your eye hasn't fully healed yet. Besides, you've only been in bed for one day. You can't expect your eye to heal in a day."

"I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?" I took a plate from the tray I brought in and handed it to Jay. "Here. I made you some lunch."

"Thanks. I thought I had enough this morning, but it seems as though I'm still hungry."

I giggled. "I feel as though you're always hungry."

Jay chuckled and looked at me. "Aren't you gonna eat anything?"

"Yeah. I made a plate for myself." I picked up my plate and sat down in the desk chair.

Before I could even start eating, Jay patted the bed. "Come sit over here. It's a lot more comfortable."

"I'm good."

"No, I insist. You made us lunch. The least I can do is let you eat in a comfortable position."

I smiled. "Alright. I'll take up on your offer."

I sat down on the bed while Jay placed an arm around me. "Better?"

I nodded. "Better."

After we finished eating, I set the plates down on the tray and laid down next to Jay on his right side. I felt comfortable just sitting next to Jay. If anything, I would rather remain here in bed with Jay than be anywhere else.

I rested my head on Jay`s shoulder, sighing peacefully. "I haven't felt this calm before."

"Me, either."

"Well, there are times when you're prone to freak out."

"I'm not prone to freaking out."

"Yes, you are."

"Come on, Nya. You know me well enough to see for yourself that I don't freak out that much."

"I know you well enough to see that you do."

"Fine. Believe whatever you wanna believe in. I'm gonna stick to my own thoughts."

"You always believe in sticking with your own thoughts." I leaned in close d to him. "I'll always love you, though."

"Same here."

Jay and I kissed passionately. I feel safe when I'm around him. I don't care whether he is under bed rest or not. I still feel safe when I'm with him. Nothing can ever change that.

* * *

 **I BET YOU'RE WONDERING. HOW MANY CHAPTERS AM I WRITING FOR THIS STORY? I'LL GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU. ITS GOING TO BE ONE HUNDRED CHAPTERS LONG. THAT'S RIGHT. THIS IS A LONG STORY. I'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ENOUGH OF ME FOR TONIGHT.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	47. Dinner Conversation

CHAPTER 46

DINNER CONVERSATION

 **NYA`S POV:**

I will admit it. I have been spending too much time with Jay. That's why I need a bit of time to spend with everyone else. I don't know why I stay away from them for so long. It's just not natural of me to do that. Once Jay fell asleep, I rolled out of us bed and closed the door softly so I wouldn't wake him up. After all, he needed his sleep. I walked downstairs to smell dinner that was already made. I'm pretty sure we would be have something good. We were, actually. It was sushi. Oh, how I love sushi. I sat down with everyone else, enjoying the wonderful dinner that I'm pretty sure Carol made. I remember her telling me yesterday that cooking usually calms her down. I can't blame her. I usually offer to cook to cool off some steam myself. I didn't have to today, though.

The moment I sat down, Kai started questioning me. "I don't really see you that often, Nya. Where have you been?"

"I've been taking care of Jay," I said.

"You've been spending a lot of time with him up there. Are you sure nothing's going on, Nya? I'd really like to know."

"Nothing's going on, Kai. Jay just feels a little more comfortable when I'm around him so I usually stay up there and help him out. I try to make sure that he's okay."

Kai sighed. "Alright, I'll believe you this time. If any funny business happens-"

"Kai, relax. There's no funny business going on. Some of that stuff won't happen until we're married. I promise you that, brother."

"Alright. I'll be checking up on you."

I rolled my eyes and continued eating dinner. No matter what I'm doing or what I'm trying to do, Kai always has to make sure that I'm not doing anything that involves stupidity or stupid people. I understand that he's overprotective, but he really needs to take a chill pill and stop worrying about the things I do in my life.

Cole came through the kitchen door and sat down with us. His clothes were covered in green. "Alright. I took care of the situation."

There was a smell that wafted through the air. It was so bad that I almost vomited out my dinner. I just looked at Cole funny. "Cole, what is that all over your clothes?"

"Oh, that's Serpentine blood. I'm not sure why it's green, though."

"Serpentine and humans are different kind of creatures," Misako said, "Humans are mammals and warm blooded while Serpentine are reptiles and cold blooded."

"If I were still a kid, I would come to you often for homework answers," Lloyd said.

"What about me?" Garmadon asked.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how that's gonna work out, Dad." Lloyd took his eyes off his father and went right back to his dinner.

The smell on Cole was starting to get worse. "Cole, you really need to go change. That stench is horrible."

"It's blood from a walking reptile that's way too different than us. What do you think? Besides, I think I got it on my body, too." Cole tried to show us his arms, but we all yelled for him to stop. "Okay, fine. I won't show you."

"Come on, Cole," Carol said, "Let's go upstairs and I'll run you a bath."

"Well, if you insist," Cole said, following Carol out of the room."

"No funny business up there," William shouted out.

"I'll make sure of that," Carol shouted back.

I sighed. "You're really overprotective of her, aren't you?"

"I'm the protective one," Wallace said, "He's way too overprotective."

"I can see that."

"Believe me, there was this one time when-"

"Wallace, stop trying to tell people about that,"William said.

"Well, excuse me. I was just trying to start up a conversation."

"Let's just eat in silence."

That's exactly what we did. It only lasted for a few minutes. Carol came back downstairs and sat down. "Alright. Cole should be cleansed from the smell by the time he's finished with his bath."

"Bath?" Kai said, surprised.

"Well, you can't take showers anymore. The men that run the water company control the water company. If they're not there, the water can't be turned on. Without showers, taking a bath is our only option."

"Seriously, though? Baths? That's disgusting."

"Oh, come on Kai, you used to take baths when you were a kid," I said.

"Yeah, but that's when I was too young to take a shower. I'm grown up now. Why would I wanna take a bath?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because we are in an apocalyptic world. The showers don't work. We have to get our water from the wells. Maybe it's a good idea for a guy like you to take a bath to calm himself down after a long day of being stubborn and hot headed."

"Okay, I get it. I just don't think that it's right for people like us to take a bath."

"There's nothing wrong with taking a bath."

"You sit there in your own wet dirt."

"Well, you should've just said so earlier."

"Well, sometimes I have to make my explanations long before I can get to the point."

"I wish this conversation would just end."

"Fine. I'll end it. We will no longer talk about how wrong it is to take a bath. It seems as though nobody cares or agrees with my opinion."

"Who said nobody agreed with your opinion?" Kitty asked, "I'm sure some of us do. We're just trying to enjoy dinner. I would rather be silent than talk about at us while I eat."

"Alright. You made the decision. I'll be silent."

Silence entered the table again. This time it was a little longer than I thought. We all enjoyed it, though. Once Cole came inside the dining room, the silence ended. He sat down at the table wearing a different set of clothes.

He sighed peacefully. "Well, that was relaxing."

"What did you do with the water in the tub?" Carol asked.

"I had to drain it out. There was too much Serpentine blood in it. One of the reasons why I didn't stay in there for so long."

"Well, I'm sure Kai will be happy to hear that. Here, let me go fix you a plate." Carol walked into the kitchen.

Cole looked at Kai. "What was she talking about, Kai?"

"It's nothing. Nothing it all." Kai continued eating.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Wow, this dinner conversation is getting weirder and a wider," I said, finishing up the last bit of sushi on my plate, "Well, it looks like I'm done. I better fix Jay a plate so he doesn't starve."

"Are you going to bed afterwards?" Kai asked.

"Probably. If I don't see any of you for for the rest of the night, I bid you good night."

Everyone else said Good night back while I went inside and fixed Jay a plate. I walked out of the kitchen and went through the door that led into the living room. I walked upstairs and made it to the door that kept Jay safe inside his room. I opened it and found that Jay was once again sleeping. I'm not sure how tired he was, but I had the feeling that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

I walked over to him and gently shook him awake. His eye opened and his mouth formed a smile when he saw me. "Back already?"

"I figured you might be hungry." I handed him his plate. "I fixed you up a plate of sushi. Carol made it."

"Good enough for me." It didn't take long for Jay to eat a plate of sushi. By the time he was done, it wasn't too long before we were cuddling next to each other. "Looks like nights coming upon us."

"Yep."

"I think tomorrow I should start getting out of bed."

"Your eye hasn't fully healed yet. I think you should wait another day or two."

"I think two days of bed rest has been plenty. I really need to get back up on my feet. The guys need me. I can't let them down."

"I know they're thinking the same thing, Jay. You need a little more time to heal."

"I guess you're right." Jay sighed.

"Tell you what. Why don't we go for a little walk tomorrow? How does that sound?"

"As long as I get away from this bed, I'll be happy with whatever you say."

I giggled, kissing him happily before drifting off to sleep. Little did I know that I wasn't going to spend the night in dream land. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FILLED WITH FEAR. I JUST WANTED TO GOOF OFF WITH THIS CHAPTER. IT'S SUNDAY. IT'S THE DAY OF THE LORD. LET US REJOICE.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. OH, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON MY POLLS. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH STORY I WANT TO DO FIRST AFTER I FINISH WITH THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. I PLAN TO DO ALL THOSE STORIES, BUT I'D LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO HELP ME CHOOSE ONE THAT I SHOULD DO FIRST. IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME IF YOU COULD HELP ME.**

 **WELL, I'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEKEND.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL LOVE READING THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	48. Up All Night

CHAPTER 47

UP ALL NIGHT

 **NYA`S POV:**

I don't know what happened. I automatically fell asleep after kissing Jay good night and cuddling with him. A dream automatically entered my head. At least I thought it was a dream. I was in the fields with Jay, watching the sunset lower behind the mountain. It was calm and peaceful. Just the two of us. Somehow, dark clouds started covering the fields, making everything dark. Everything started turning black and white with just a pinch of gray added to it. As quick as we could stand, a shadow looking creature was standing in front of us. It was about to grab me before it placed Jay inside it's dark hands, forcing him into the shadow with it. A moment later, the shadow disappeared, leaving Jay behind. When I placed my hand on his shoulder, he moaned like one of those wanderers. That's because he was a wanderer.

I woke up screaming. Sweat poured from my forehead as I did my best to calm down. I was shaking violently before Jay had finally woke up turned on the flashlight right next to him. He held my hand in his.

"What's the matter?" Jay asked, placing his hand on my cheek, "What happened?"

I embraced him with shaky hands as I placed my head on his chest. He placed his arms around me, trying his best to keep me calm. I sobbed loudly. "Please don't turn into one of those things. Please don't ever go out there. Please, Jay, please."

"What are you talking about? Did you have a nightmare or something?"

I nodded. "A shadow wrapped you up. It kept you in its grasp. It was gonna take me, but you took my place. The shadow disappeared, leaving you behind. You weren't normal, though. It turned you into a wanderer. I beg you to not go out there. Please don't go."

"It's okay, Nya. It was just a nightmare. There's nothing to worry about. I wouldn't dream of going out to where those things are. They've already taken over the whole outside world. I would dare think about becoming one of them."

"Promise me that you won't leave me."

"I won't leave you. I'm already here right beside you. There's no reason that the two of us should be apart."

"I love you, Jay. I just don't wanna see anything happen to you. A lot of things have already happen to other people and I just don't want you to be one of them."

"I know. I feel the same way about you."

"I don't think I can go back to sleep. My nightmare caused me to not close my eyes anymore. Looks as though I'm already awake."

"You wanna go downstairs? I'm sure that'll make you feel better."

"You can't walk downstairs. You only have one eye to see out of."

"There's not a problem with that. My great uncle had a wooden leg since his mid-thirties and he was able to walk in the dark. If he can walk in the dark with only one leg, why can't I walk in the dark with only one eye?"

"I guess you have a point." I grabbed the flashlight that sat on the nightstand. "I'll use this to lead us downstairs. You ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

I grabbed both of Jay`s hands and pulled him up out of bed gently. He was calmly on his feet, holding onto me as I led him to the door. We walked carefully down the stairs and made it without either of us falling over. Once we were downstairs, we made our way to the kitchen, where we found a bright lantern sitting on the table, bringing in some light.

I removed a pot from the cabinet along with a few packets of tea. I turned the stove on and started cooking the tea on it. While it was cooking, I sat down next to Jay at the table. My hand was buried in his.

"I guess we went to the extreme, didn't we?"

"Going down the stairs for the first time since I got hurt. I guess you could say that. That was pretty extreme. In a safe way."

"Sorry I started freaking out. Whenever I have a nightmare, I just seem to freak out all of a sudden. I guess it's just something that happens."

"I understand. That used to happen to me all the time when I was a kid. Whenever I had a nightmare and it was as bad as yours, my mother would come running in there to see what was going on. She would give me ice cream afterwards."

"In the middle of the night? Wouldn't you be hyperactive by morning?"

"No, I never really went that far after eating something that had a ton of sugar in it. I've always been careful with it."

"I get it now. Do you want me to find you some ice cream?"

"I think I'm good. Thanks, anyway. If you want any, I could find you some."

"No, ice cream won't work for me. Whenever I had a nightmare and my mother woke up and heard me screaming, she would take me downstairs and made me some tea. It always calmed me down and made me go to sleep."

"Looks as though parents have different ways of how to handle their children when they have nightmares. If I were to ever have children, I'm not sure what I'd do."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

The smell of cocoa tea flew in the air. "Looks like the tea is done. When you can smell it, you wanna make sure that it doesn't burn. Would you like some, Jay?"

"Yeah, I'll take some."

I poured the both of us a cup and placed them on the table. We sat in silence for a moment, looking at each other with sweet, loving eyes. There is no other way to look at Jay. He's just amazing.

Jay placed his hand on mine. "I think this is a good moment for us. It's just you and me. We're all alone. The others are sleeping. It's just the two of us."

"Yeah. Just the both of us together with nobody else to bother us."

"That's the truth. I wouldn't have it any other way."

I sighed, taking a sip of my tea. "I love you, Jay."

"I love you, too, Nya. Who else would I love?"

"I don't know. I don't see anyone else you could love. I suppose there's only one person."

"That person is you."

"I figured it would be." I stood up from my chair and looked out the window. I saw things moving outside. Thank goodness the doors were blocked up with wood. I looked to see that the three days were up and the wanderers were back on their feet. I place the shades over the window, trying my best to make sure those things couldn't see us. "Looks like those things are awake again."

"It'll be okay, Nya. As long as we stay inside, nothing can hurt us."

"You're right." I sat back down. "I will say that your right about most things."

"Most things? What are things that I'm not right about?"

"Well, you weren't right about who the samurai was until you found out that it was me."

"Oh, come on, Nya, don't start that back up. I didn't mean to say that I hated the samurai. I didn't know who it was. All I knew was that the samurai was a lot better than us and once I found out it was you, I was pretty happy to see that it was the girl of my dreams. I will be honest."

"Okay. I was just testing you. The things that your not right about always seems to turn out right."

"I guess your right."

"Aren't I always?"

"You are with everything."

We head footsteps coming from the back porch. Looks as though those things are wandering on the porch. It started to scare me a bit so Jay and I left the kitchen and went into the living room. Not before I turned off the stove and made sure it wasn't too hot. Gas stoves can be different than regular stoves.

We sat down on the couch, placing our cups of tea on the coffee table. Jay placed his arm around my shoulder. He sighed. "Today has just been one of those days. Looks as though the next three days will be filled with misery."

I placed a hand on Jay`s cheek. "Don't say that, Jay. When you say things like that, it could bring bad luck. I'm not sure why, but it seems as though the ninja always end up with the worst of luck."

"I've never heard that before."

"I have."

"Oh, well. We both think of it differently." Jay kissed me on the cheek. "Do you wanna try and go back to sleep?"

"Will you protect me from the nightmares?"

"I'll do my best."

We kissed each other before lying down on the oversized couch. The rest of the night was filled with a clear mind. I was just happy to be next to the one person that I care about. That person was Jay. I'm just glad to be with him.

* * *

 **ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE TO CUDDLE ON WHEN YOU HAVE A BAD DREAM. NYA HAS JAY. I'M PRETTY SURE THEIR LOVE IS GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER FOR THE LONGEST THIS HAS GONE ON. I'M SURE THINGS WILL GET BETTER. OR WILL IT?**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME NOW.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	49. That Very Morning

CHAPTER 48

THAT VERY MORNING

 **NYA`S POV:**

I had remembered that Jay and I walked downstairs to the living room last night after an occurring nightmare that came up. We had some tea first before heading back to sleep on the couch for the rest of the night. That morning, I woke up to see that I was lying on Jay`s chest and a blanket was placed over us. I was u half the night, so I didn't get the best amount of sleep in the world. My eyes were kind of droopy when I get up in the mornings. The living only had some light in it since the sun was out, but we couldn't open the shades. Those things were out there and we couldn't let them see us. I especially didn't want them to see us. I did not plan to become wanderer food at seven in the morning. By that time, I was still tired from a long night.

I got up from off the couch and placed the blanket on Jay. I kissed him on the forehead before I went into the kitchen and started making breakfast for everyone. I went into the storage room and started going through the food supply. We were able to get a ton of stuff thanks to everyone going out and finding as much food as possible. I found a carton of eggs with some milk and orange juice and decided to make something out of it. The orange juice was the beverage while the milk would be added to the eggs and start cooking over the stove. You gotta save up your food in a world such as this. I was thinking about taking some bacon and bread out to make some sides, but I decided against it. We could eat that another time.

I went back into the kitchen and started cooking breakfast for everyone. The first one to notice the scent was Jay. I knew that because he came in here and placed his hands over my eyes until there was nothing but complete darkness. It was a fun little game that he enjoyed playing. I actually enjoy it myself.

I turned away from the stove for a moment and let him kiss me. He smiled after our lips broke apart. "Morning, beautiful. I must say that you are the strongest ray of sunshine when it comes to waking up in the morning."

I giggled. "You're sweet, Jay. I don't suppose anyone's ever told you that you have a really sweet heart the moment you wake up after a long night of sleeping and dreaming."

"That's the best way to think about the night." Jay held me in his arms as I let him pick me up and twirl me around. I was laughing so hard that Jay kissed me to calm down my laughing. He placed a hand gently on my cheek. "I must make you laugh a lot."

"Of course you do. You are my boyfriend, after all."

"What is going on in here?" Jay and I turned our heads to see my brother standing in the doorway, rubbing his temples. "Your laughing and giggling woke me up this morning. I was having a wonderful dream before it was ruined by all the noise."

"Sorry, Kai," I said, "Jay and I were just having a little fun like boyfriends and girlfriends do."

"Well, don't have too much fun." Kai sat down at the table. "Anyway, what's for breakfast?"

"Oh, I almost forgot about that." I jumped out of Jay`s arms and stood over the stove. "I hope you don't mind scrambled eggs this morning."

"Anything else?"

"Nope. Just eggs."

"What's the point in eating that if we're not gonna have anything on the side?"

"I have some orange juice. Does that count as a side?"

"That's a beverage. I was talking about putting some toast or bacon on the side. I wouldn't care what it was. As long as it's something."

"You can be so picky about certain things, Kai."

"Well, that's just who I am."

I was grabbing another pan from the cabinet when something fell out. I covered my head with my hands before I saw that Jay grabbed the falling object. "Were you trying to catch this?"

I took the pan from his grasp. "Yes. Thanks, Jay."

"Anytime. Need any help with cooking?"

"I think I'm alright for now. Why don't you sit down?"

"I'd rather help you cook breakfast. There's a bunch of people here. You'll need a set of extra hands."

"I think I'm good, Jay. I've cooked a large meal before. It's not my first time. Just have a seat. Is your eye still throbbing?"

"It's not as bad as it was before. I think the pain is starting to disappear. I can't feel that eye at all."

"You can't feel it anymore?" Kai asked.

"My left eye no longer works, Kai. It's paralyzed." Jay sat down across from Kai.

"I know. I'm sure you're used to it by now."

"Not really. I'm starting to get used to it."

At that point, everyone started coming downstairs. Some people had to eat in the dining room in order to fit anywhere. I understand that a bunch of children had to move in with us in older to be protected, but we could at least have a bigger table to eat at. This was the first time Jay`s been downstairs with everyone else since he got hurt. I'm glad he's alright, but don't crowd around him to shower him with attention. He doesn't really enjoy that so much.

After breakfast was over with, we all sat in the living room. The best thing we could possibly do was just sit and do nothing. Except for Lloyd, who was trying to make the radio work. He was hoping that finding someone would help us get through what's been going on. He's been trying, but there was still no luck.

I shook my head. "Do you mind not trying to figure that thing out for a little while and just relax?"

"Sorry, but I need to figure this out," Lloyd said, "I'm tired of being inside this large house. It's time for us to move on."

"Move on where?" Carol asked.

"To a community of some sort. If we can find a place with other people, we might be able to protect as many people as we can. Plus, we might be able to help them search for more food and supplies. If the ninja are around them, they'll be safe."

"I understand why you're doing it, Lloyd," Misako said, "You just don't want any other innocent civilians to get hurt."

"Not only that, but I had a weird dream last night. I saw us trying to escape the house in order to get away from the wanderers. I think that my dream may end up becoming real life."

"Let's just say that it's not gonna be real," Cole said, "I'm not in the mood to think about those wanderers."

"Neither am I," Carol said.

"Sometimes, you really don't have much of a choice," Lloyd said.

"I wish we did," Kai said.

"We all do, Kai," Zane said.

"You know, Gregory hasn't come back yet," Kitty said.

"Good riddance," Kai said.

"Kai, don't say that," Cole said.

"Carol, I thought you said he would come back," Jay said.

"Yeah, about that, the only way Gregory will come back is if you we promise him something in return," Carol admitted.

"Great," William said, "You just had to tell somebody else about it."

"Well, it's time somebody else knew about it."

"What would he want?" Kai asked.

"He would want everyone who was brought here to leave and never return," Carol said.

"Why would he want that?" Cole asked.

"Well, ever since he found out that there were ninja around, he's disliked you all because he thought you all would take me away from my home."

"Is there a reason why he thinks that?"

"Well, you see-" Before Carol could say anything, the door started making a loud banging noise.

"Wait here, everyone," Sensei Wu said, walking up to the door.

I held Jay`s arm tightly as Sensei went near the door. He looked through the peephole and placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned it, pulling in the person as quick as lightning would flash and closed the door, locking it up. We all looked to see who Sensei yanked inside and gasped.

"Gregory!" we all shouted.

Carol tried running up to her brother, but Gregory stopped her. "Don't touch me. Please. I wish to not be harmed."

"What happened to you?" Carol asked.

"It's a lot to explain. Let's just say that I made a mistake going out there."

"What were you doing out there? Why didn't you come back?"

"I figured something out, but I wanna show you."

Gregory pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to show us a bunch of bite marks on his arms. We all gasped at the sight. What was going on with Gregory?

* * *

 **OH, MY GOSH!**

 **GREGORY`S BACK. HE'S NOT LOOKING SO GOOD. SO MANY BITE MARKS. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? PEOPLE TRY TO HAVE A GOOD DAY INDOORS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN DISATER HAPPENS. WELL, SO MUCH FOR A RELAXING DAY. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, JAY IS GETTING BETTER.**

 **WELL, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. I'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEKEND.**

 **WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	50. Gregory Is What?

CHAPTER 49

GREGORY IS... WHAT?

 **NYA`S POV:**

We had placed Gregory inside a room by himself the entire night. We wanted to make sure that he wouldn't turn into one of those things. Sensei Wu said it usually takes a whole night to turn into a wanderer. We heard some moans and groans of pain throughout the night. I had went to bed in Jay`s room that night, but around midnight, Carol woke up and was crying like crazy, waking both Jay and I up. I spent the rest of the night in her room, sleeping on the air mattress that she kept in her closet. Thank goodness she had an air pump. Otherwise I would've ended up sleeping on the floor. The sun blinded everyone the next morning. We couldn't hear anymore of Gregory`s moaning and groaning, so we figure that he just finally passed out.

Sensei went up to check on him when breakfast ended. We were all worried that he wouldn't come back down. It scared Carol more than anyone else. Her brothers tried to keep her calm, but she told them that she didn't want their sympathy. I had thought they didn't help her at all, but it turns out that Carol doesn't want her brothers helping her out for any reason at all. I can see why, but I think we were all to blame for Gregory leaving and coming back harmed. If anything, we are all to blame.

Sensei came back downstairs unharmed, but he had a surprise look on his face. He sat down at the head of the table, taking a sip of his tea as he regained his thoughts.

Carol must have gotten tired of waiting. "What's going on? Is something going to happen to my brother or what? Why are you not saying anything? Why are you just sitting there staring at all of us? Stop making me ask questions and just tell me what happened."

Sensei sighed. "You will not believe it. Gregory hasn't changed. It seems as though the bite marks aren't affecting him. I don't know why that is."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I have never been more sure about anything in my life."

Carol jumped out of her chair and made her way out of the dining room. I ran up after her. "Carol, wait. What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what I should've done long ago," Carol said, "Figure out what's going on with my brother. It's time to be the sister that I was born to be."

"Carol, we don't know what's going on with him. For all we know, it may be taking a while for the virus to enter his system."

"There may be something more than that. It's time for me to figure out what's going on, Nya. I need to know. Gregory is my brother and I have the right to know what's going on with him. I just have to know."

I nodded my head. "I understand, but you're not going up there alone. I'm coming with you."

"I need somebody to help me out. There are just some things I can't do on my own. If you think coming with me is the right thing to do, I won't say no."

"Alright. Come on."

We both walked upstairs and went inside Gregory`s room. He was curled up in his bed. His eyes were opened, but he didn't pay any attention to us. He was breathing normally, but it also sounded as though he was sick. He may have been running a fever. A chill must've ran up his spine because he shivered a bit. Carol removed one of the blankets from his end of the bed and placed it on him. Gregory looked at his sister, giving her a smile. She smiled back, a tear flowing from her eye.

Gregory took his sister's hand in his and sighed. "I'm sorry, _mi hermana._ I didn't mean to run away like that. I promise that it won't happen again."

"I know you won't. I bet you have a fear to never go back out there."

"I do, but I'm pretty sure I won't have a choice when the time comes and something happens and we're force to leave our own home. I don't want to leave our home, Carol. I wish we had someone that can help us stay here. Somebody that can teach us what they know in order for us to protect ourselves. Somebody that can protect our home. Somebody that can help us. Where is that person?"

"That person is a group of people. That group of people are the ninja. I've been trying to tell you that they are good people and they're willing to help us. If you would only listen, you wouldn't have gotten into the situation that you're in now. If you don't listen to others, you won't get anywhere in life."

"I made that mistake once. I'm not gonna make it again. I've made too many mistakes in life, Carol. I wish I could go back in time and change all that. I wish I could make things better."

"We all wish we could do something. We wish to make the world a better place. We wish to make better decisions in our lives. We wish to become successful when things fall down. We wish for a lot of things. Some of them never come true, but if we believe long and hard enough, they might actually become as real as dreams. We all make mistakes, Gregory, but there's just one thing. You have to keep trying. You have to continue moving forward. You can't just stop right in the middle and give up. That's the only way to fix mistakes."

"That's why I'm gonna start being a better brother. I'll listen to what you have to say. I'll help you when you need it the most. I'll stick by your side no matter what. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because your my sister. I love you."

"I love you, too, Gregory. You're the best brother a sister could ever have."

Gregory nodded, but a throbbing of pain entered his arm. He groaned as it hit right through him. "Why does it keep coming back? Every time I get bit by something, some kind of pain always hits through me."

"Gregory, what is going on?"

"I can't tell you, sis. I made a promise to Dad that I wouldn't tell. I really wanna tell you. I wish I could, but I can't break a promise. I'm just not that type of person."

"Gregory, sometimes you just have to break those promises. We're in the middle of an apocalypse. This is no time for you to be keeping secrets from me. You need to tell me what's going on."

"I don't want you to freak out. You've always had a problem with that."

"I'll control it this time. I won't freak out on you. This is a world where you just have to control yourself. You can't just worry and freak out about everything all the time. I promise to remain calm."

"Are you sure? Can you handle what I'm about to say?"

"I can handle it."

Gregory took a deep breath. "Okay, here it is. Carol,... I'm immune."

Carol`s eyes widened. "Immune?"

"Yes, immune. It's been that way ever since I was born. I guess you could say that I haven't really changed at all. I looked the same way ever since I was fifteen. Nothing has changed about me."

"Why haven't I been told about this before?" I could tell that Carol was clueless about all of this.

"Dad thought you couldn't handle it. He told me that you usually had a problem freaking about certain things. That's why he didn't want you to know. That's why I didn't want you to know. It would've been one less thing for you to worry about. Now that you know about it, you'll be worried about me all the time."

Carol shook her head. "No, I wouldn't have been worried about you all the time. Sure, I would've been concerned, but not worried. Maybe a little bit, though."

"I guess when you get older, you start to understand things a little bit."

"Yeah. I guess so."

Gregory sighed. "I need to get some sleep, Carol. It's been difficult the past couple of days. I can't keep my eyes opened anymore."

"I understand. You rest for as long as you need to."

Gregory closed his eyes, breathing softly as he began to sleep peacefully. Carol placed the blankets over her brothers, keeping him warm through the chills that went down his back. We left the room, remaining in the hallway for a moment.

"I guess knowing that your brother is immune was unexpected, wasn't it?" I asked.

"It was," Carol said, "I'll try not to worry about it so much. After all, it doesn't seem to bother him that much anymore. If it doesn't bother him, it won't bother me."

"I guess you're just trying to be supportive."

"Somewhere around that line. I wish he would've told me earlier, but I understand why he didn't. Dad made him promise, and he kept it. You can't break a promise, but in certain situations, you don't really have much of a choice."

"I guess you're right."

"I suppose I am, although there are times when I don't think I am."

"I think you are."

"Attention ninja and residents of this very lovely home!" A voice shouted from outside. "This is a familiar foe speaking."

Carol and I looked out the window to see Pythor standing in the front yard. I gasped at the sight I saw. Not only did I see his army, but I also saw a whole group of wanderers.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE GREGORY IS IMMUNE. WOW. THAT WAS REALLY UNEXPECTED. NOW PYTHOR AND HIS ARMY OF SNAKES HAVE CORNERED THEM AND HAVE BROUGHT A WHOE GROUP OF WANDERERS WITH THEM. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	51. Leaving Another Home

CHAPTER 50

LEAVING ANOTHER HOME

 **NYA`S POV:**

I stood there in the hallway next to Carol scared of everything I saw. Those things were in our backyard, trying to take over yet another home that we had settled down and lived at. Tears fell from Carol`s eyes as she saw the scene in front of her. I held her tight, trying to keep her calm. I had to figure something out. This was getting too ridiculous. From Pythor shouting at us to everyone inside the house freaking out, I couldn't . I grabbed Carol`s hand and dragged her downstairs into the living room. Not only was this becoming scary, but this was also becoming a catastrophe. It's seems I'm the only one that can do anything about it. Once Carol and I got to the living room, I sat Carol down on the couch and told her that now was not the time to start freaking out. Now was the time to think of a plan.

Everyone came downstairs, seeing me and Carol sitting in there. They all came inside, hoping that I had something to say. I did, actually. I would make sure that everyone listened to me. I told everyone to have a seat. I told them my talk would only last about five minutes. After that, we needed to start getting out of the house. I took a deep breath as everyone had a seat. I took one good look at everyone before I began speaking.

"Okay, everyone, listen up," I said, "It seems as though Pythor and his army have found us again. This time he has more wanderers than expected and we can't go through with all of them at once. It's not that simple and its best not to try. I have an idea. Don't say anything against it because I've already made up my mind about it and you can't say anything otherwise. We're in the middle if a crisis situation so you need to bear with me. The first thing we need to do is get one of our packs and fill it up with the necessary needs. Food, water, blankets, hygiene products, clothing, and everything else. Nothing more, nothing less. After that, the second thing we need to do is get the children out of here first. After that, the elders. Last, but not least, the rest of us. The maximum amount of bags we can take with each of us are two. We need to pack up fast and get the heck out of here. Any objections?" Nobody raised their hands. "Good. Let's get moving."

"I'm giving you one hour to come out of there," Pythor shouted, "If you're not out of there by then, we're coming in."

"Come on, everyone. Let's go."

I ran upstairs and placed everything I brought with me back in my suitcase. I went to the pantry and placed some food inside my bag. I placed some of the other necessary needs in my pack and ran out of the room. Everyone else was mostly finished by the time I was standing and waiting for everyone in the living room. The children were sitting on the furniture in the living room, completely clueless as to what was going on. Once everyone was finally downstairs, it was on to step two.

"Okay, is everyone down?" I asked.

"Carol`s not down yet," William said, "She and my brother had to get Gregory."

"You need to go and help them."

"Why should I? He's the one that caused this whole mess."

"Does any of that matters right now? Get up there and help them."

Wallace did as he was told and ran upstairs. I looked at everyone in the room. Kai walked up to me. "Okay, Nya, who's gonna take the children out?"

"We will take them out," Misako said, "The van should be able to fit everyone in."

"Alright," I said, "After you get to the van, drive off and get as far as you can."

"Alright." Mission helped the children to their feet. "Come on, children. Let's get going."

When all the children were with the elders, either being held or crawled on their backs, I quickly opened the door and let them run out. I looked out the window on the door, hoping that they would get to the vehicle safely. After taking down some of the wanderers, they all got inside the van quickly and drove off just like I planned.

I nodded my head, turning back to everyone else. "Okay, everyone. They got there safely. Now it's our turn. We all need to go out there at the same time. Where are the others?"

"We're coming," Carol called out.

Gregory wasn't looking the best. I was scared he would pass out. He looked kind of dizzy. "Sorry, guys. This is my fault for all of this happening. I accidentally bringing those snakes here. I got mad and told them how horrible you guys are. I made a huge mistake."

"Now is not the time to play the blame game," Kai said, actually making a point, "We need to get out of here. Pythor`s put us on a time limit."

"Five minute warning, ninja," Pythor called out, "Come out or feel the wrath of us "

"Come on, guys," I said, "We need to go. Now!"

"Okay, okay," Gregory said, "I'm sorry. Let's head out."

I was the first one at the door. On my signal, we all had to run out and start taking down wanderers. Okay, I had to make the counting just right. I took a deep breath. Now it's time to count. It's time to get out of this place.

Let's do this.

One...

Gotta make this count.

Two...

Needs to go as planned.

Three!

We all ran out of the house and started shooting darts from one place to another. Every wanderer we took down hadn't done a thing to be taken down, but since they were dangerous, we had no choice. We had to do what was right. Besides, we had someone that was immune, so we couldn't afford to lose him. He may have the cure. Something inside him must have the cure. After all, that's how it is in the movies. Although, those are in the movies. I don't think that happens in real life.

We had taken down the last wanderer as we finally made it to our vehicles. I had climbed into the driver's seat of Jay`s truck as Jay got next to me in the passenger seat. I suppose he didn't trust himself to dive his own vehicle due to his one eye, so I had to drive. After all, I did make up the plan, so I was the one behind the wheel. It was only fair.

We all drove out of sight as we saw the wanderers enter the house. I sighed, thankful we all got out of there alive. I'm just glad Jay still had good aim. If he didn't, he would've been a goner, but as his girlfriend, I wouldn't let that happen to him. I would block his path and take down any monster I could. That's all I could do.

We sat in silence for a while. None of us said a word. Jay finally did, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Looks as though we need to find somewhere else to go."

I nodded my head. "Yeah. It looks as though we need to."

"Where are we gonna go?"

"Well, the first thing we need to do is find out where the elders are."

"I'll handle it." Jay took the radio and placed it on the speaker. "Everyone, head into the direction where the elders and the children are. Over and out." Jay turned off the radio as he leaned back in his seat. "Well, the best thing we can do now is just enjoy the ride."

"Hopefully we won't hit any innocent bystanders," I said, "I'm talking about the people."

"Don't tell me the people are the wanderers?"

"Well, them and the one's that survived this whole thing. I'm just trying to be kind. After all, we just survived going out there fir the first time with all of those things."

"That's true. Looks like I can aim pretty well with only the use of my one eye. I'm not as bad at this being ninja stuff as I thought I would be when all of this happened. You know what I mean, babe?"

"I know what you mean."

I had forgotten that I placed my bag up in the front seat. Jay must have seen something sticking out and place it back in there neatly, but he actually held it in his hand. "Is this the rose I gave you?"

"Yeah. When I was making my way out of the hospital, I saw this on the nightstand. That was really sweet of you to get it for me. Thank you."

"Well, of course. Anytime. I don't mind getting you anything, especially when you're hurt like you were a month ago."

I sighed. "I can't believe a month has already passed. It feels like forever since all of this started."

"Speaking of which, how in the world did all of this happen?"

"I guess we'll never know. That's just one of the secrets of Ninjago."

"You know, Pythor been on chasing after us. Do you think he has anything to do with it?"

"I hope not. If he does, looks like we'll have some grease on our hands."

"Grease on our hands? Where did you hear that phrase from?"

"I don't know. I guess I just picked it up."

I continued driving down the road. Too many thoughts in my mind. Was Pythor in charge of all this? Just thinking about it puts me in one of those moods. This was just one of those days.

* * *

 **OH, NO! THE NINJA LOST YET ANOTHER HOME. THIS IS JUST GETTING WORSE. WHY IS IT THAT THE NINJA HAVE THE WORST OF LUCK? I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW.**

 **WELL, HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	52. Camping Out in the Vehicles

CHAPTER 51

CAMPING OUT IN THE VEHICLES

 **NYA`S POV:**

We continued driving a few more hours. It was getting close to dark so Jay told everyone that it was best to stop and rest for the night. I had that same idea. Soon, all the vehicles were in one straight line and the headlights were turned off. I have to admit that it was kind of spooky inside the truck without any lights and the darkness outside wasn't much help. It just made things worse. What's the worst thing that could happen? One of those wanderers would come walking by and scare us half to death? I kept hearing them, though. They kept on saying things like evil and join us. I could've sworn I heard a few of them say help. I'm pretty sure they were all tired of being in this mess. I was tired of all this going on. I just wanted to go back home.

I began shaking in fear. Jay saw this and brought me closer to him. The shaking in my body continued. I couldn't stop. Everything was scaring me. I felt like a child that wouldn't stop fearing the things she saw. I was actually that child, though. When I was younger, I was always afraid of thunderstorms. Every time a clap of thunder was heard, I would either climb up in my mother or father's lap. It depends on who was available at the moment. I wish they were both still here right now. This may not be thunder, but it was worse. These things could take us all away from this world.

Tears streamed down my face. I was scared. My sobbing wouldn't stay in me. I just had to bring it out. I will go ahead and say it. I'm not brave. I'm not a good leader. I don't even have a plan to find us another place to go. This was pretty much my fault.

I even told Jay that. "This is all my fault. I'm to blame for all this."

"None of this is your fault," Jay said, "Why are you blaming yourself?"

"I don't know. I say that I can do something and I'm good at leading and all that, but none of that is true. I'm just a big old scaredy cat. I'm not a leader. I'm not brave. I panic too much. I run away when things scare me. I act like a child too much. I don't know how to handle bullies. I don't know how to do anything."

"You do know how to do things. Don't say that you don't because you do. If anything, I'm kind of the one that usually acts like the child. Right now, there's just no time to do that. We are in the middle if an apocalyptic world."

"I know. I just wish it would end. I wish we could figure out how to end this whole world and go back to the way things were before. I'd rather things go back to normal than to live with so much pain and suffering. If only there was a way to forget all that."

"There are some things to forget. I would rather forget it all myself, but if I do, I won't worry about it anymore and automatically don't even think it's there. Trust me. You do not want that to happen."

"Thanks for warning me."

"My pleasure."

"I guess the same thing happens to me. If it wasn't anything to worry about, I wouldn't think about it, either. I really don't want that to happen. I'd rather just worry about it everyday than forget about it. After all, the world is pretty much destroyed. It's all gone."

"Not all of it is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm still here. The others are still here. We're all still standing. Nothing has happened to any of us. If we stick together, we can make it through this. I'm sure we'll find a cure. Once we cure everyone, Ninjago will go back to his old self. Once that happens, we can all live normal lives again."

"You're right. We can. I just wonder where that cure is."

"Well, the only place we can find that cure at is at Mesco City. That's the only place I can think of."

"I wish we could find it now."

"Same here. Hey, do you mind if we could talk for a minute?"

"Well, it's just you and me, so I don't see why not."

Jay sighed. "Do you remember when you were in the hospital?"

"I'll be honest with you. I didn't even know I was in the hospital until I heard you and Kai talking about it."

"You heard our conversation? Why didn't you wake up?"

"Believe me, I wanted to wake up, but my eyes refused to open. I wanted to look up and stare you right in the face, but I just couldn't. I was so tired and everything else. I wish I did wake up. There was something that you wanted to tell me."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't finish telling you what that little gift is. If I'd had know you could hear me, I wouldn't have said anything. Unfortunately, I didn't know and I was about to say it. I guess I should be lucky Kai interrupt me when I was just about to tell you. I shouldn't have been lucky to hear that we had to leave the city and help everyone evacuate. If anything, the whole hospital should've been evacuated first. I guess nobody in this world cares about the sick people anymore. They would rather them go ahead and leave this world in the worst way possible. I wish that didn't have to happen."

"Everybody wishes for something. Everyone wishes for a better world, but that's never going to happen. Everyone wishes for better lives, but usually those lives are different than how you expect them to be. Everyone wishes for something, but usually those dreams never come true. Unless you believe in it as much as you believe in dreams."

"I believe in most of my dreams. Not all of them. Minus the nightmares."

"I think I understand. Are you talking about dreams that you have at night?"

"Yeah, pretty much, but I know what your trying to say. Dreams are something everybody has. There's nothing in this world that nobody doesn't think about having. Some people want a great life. Some people wanna get married. Some want lots of kids. If you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean."

"I wish that the both of us had that kind of life."

"What kind of life?"

"Well, there's something that I need to tell you, Nya. I know this is kind of a bad time, but I really can't wait any longer. Since we're alone, I guess the best time to say this is now."

"What is it?"

"Nya, I love you with all my heart. I don't want anything to ever happen to you. You deserve the best of the best. You care about me. I care about you. If we both care about each other, why can't we be together? I think the Great Sensei is telling us that you and I are meant to be together. I think he's right about us."

"Jay, what are you trying to say? I know that you love me. I know that you care about me. I don't get why you're saying all of this."

"Hold on a second." Jay took a moment to dig through his bag. I was surprise to see that he could actually find the bag that quick. I guess I shouldn't be judging about only having one eye. There's no reason to say anything about it. Once he found what he was looking for, he placed his eyes right on me. "Nya, I hope you don't mind if I could ask you a questions?"

"Yeah, of course you can. I'm listening."

"Nya, you're a wonderful person. There's nobody else that I would rather ask this question to. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you." Jay held out a little box in his hand that held a shiny ring. I gasped as Jay asked, "Will you marry me?"

Tears steamed out of my eyes. "Jay, I feel speechless. You've made me so happy."

"So is that a yes."

"It is. Yes, Jay. I will marry you."

Jay placed the ring on my finger. "Nya, you've made me the happiest man in this world."

"You've made me the happiest gal in this world. Once this whole thing is over, I promise you and I will go ahead and plan for our wedding."

"Isn't there a way that you and I can go ahead and get married now?"

"Unless we were in Mesco City, I don't think they would give us any marriage papers. The only place you can get those at is there."

"Well, the sooner, the better. I just want us to be together."

"Same here. I love you with all my heart."

"I love you, too. While we're traveling, I don't see why you and I can't find some stuff for our wedding."

"The dress, the tux, the cake, the band, a cook, the caterers, guest, wedding invitations, friends, family, maid of honor, bridesmaids, groomsmen, best man, the best food in town, a lot of love, and a temple priest."

"Wow! You just list everything right off the bat."

"Well, those are just some of the most important things to remember. Our wedding doesn't have to be perfect. I just want it to be special."

"Special it shall be. I'll make sure of it."

"I'm glad to call you my fiancee."

Jay and I kissed for a few minutes until we rocked each other to sleep. I love Jay with all my heart. Just a few minutes ago, I was crying, thinking that I couldn't do anything. Now I was happy and also the fiancee of one of the best men in the world. Nothing could ruin this magnificent night.

* * *

 **HOORAY! JAY AND NYA ARE ENGAGED IN THIS STORY. I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF MARRIAGES IN MY LAST STORY, THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY MADE IT TO THE HALFWAY MARK. IT'S SO UNBELIEVABLE.**

 **IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, SO I'M GONNA GO NOW.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	53. After Three Days

CHAPTER 52

AFTER THREE DAYS

 **NYA`S POV:**

After sleeping inside of a truck the last two nights, I was finally glad those things were taking a nap. It was good to finally get some exercise. I really needed to stretch my legs. If I slept in that car for another night, I feel as though this time I would break my back. Literally. I love it when I'm riding in Jay`s truck, but I can't stand sleeping and eating in it. Now that we could finally get out, we all made a fire and started making a fire. We spent the day just trying to relax and lie down after such an ordeal. I nap a little bit, but it wasn't enough to get rid of the bags under my eyes. I'm sure that happened to everyone else. I yawned looking at everyone. Since nobody could really sleep, I thought it would be best to give them the news about mine and Jay`s engagement.

Well, I had to get permission from Jay first before I tell anyone anything. I walked up to him, wrapping my arms around him. "This may be a good time to tell everyone."

"Tell everyone what?"

"About our engagement, silly. I think it's time to give everyone the news."

"Oh, yeah. Do you wanna tell them or should I?"

"I was hoping that the both of us would tell them."

"Are you sure your brother isn't gonna break my neck?"

"I promise Kai won't do anything to you. I'll make sure of that. Come on. Let's tell them."

Jay and I walked up to everyone, who were relaxing over the fire. Jay woke some of them up as they were about to fall asleep. He even woke Kai up because the news was kind of really for him. Kai shook his head. "What? Why did you wake me up?"

"Nya and I have to tell you something," Jay said, "It's some happy news, in case you're wondering."

"It better be or else you'll be seeing stars by the end of the day."

"I think it's too late for me to see stars. I can only see half the world. Have you forgotten already?"

"No, I haven't."

"Jay, I think it's time we give out the news," I said, "Talking to my brother is wasting our time."

"Sorry, Nya," Jay said, walking back over to me.

"What's the big news?" Misako asked.

"Okay," I said, "Jay and I have some happy news to give."

"You guys better not be expecting a baby because you're not married," Kai said, his eyes sneering at Jay.

"No, Kai, it's not that," Jay said, "Even I know you're not suppose to have children until your married. That's not the point, though."

"Jay and I are engaged," I said.

"What?" Cole asked.

"Nya and I are getting married," Jay said.

"Wait a second," Kai said, "How and where did you two get engaged?"

"Well, we got engaged on the night when we had to leave the mansion," I explained, "I was upset and Jay was trying to calm me down and all that. He asked me if he could tell me something and I said yes so he took out the ring and ask me to marry him and I said yes. We got engaged in his truck. We couldn't get engaged anywhere else. I suppose he couldn't wait any longer to propose to me."

"He proposed to you in his truck? There better not have been any funny business."

"There was no funny business, Kai," Jay said.

"He's just trying to make sure, Jay," Misako said, "You know how overprotective he can be with Nya."

"Well, there are times when it can get annoying."

"He's right," I said, "It can."

"I suppose you're going to ask for my blessing, huh?" Kai asked.

"You blessing?" Jay asked.

"It means that he approves of our marriage," I said, "If he blesses our marriage, it's okay with him."

"What do you say, Kai? Will you bless our marriage?"

Kai gave us a funny look. "You guys really think I'm gonna automatically bless your marriage? That's not how it works. The groom has to prove to himself that he's worthy to the head of the bride's family before the marriage can be approve. That's a tradition the Smith's take seriously."

"Is that really a tradition in your family?"

"Kai, can't we just skip out on tradition for just this one marriage?" I asked, "You've known Jay for the past two years now. Don't you trust him?"

"I trust him, Nya, but tradition is tradition," Kai said, "We can't back out of it."

"Do I really have to prove myself?" Jay asked.

I sighed. "It seems as though you do, Jay. If you want our marriage to be blessed, you have to prove yourself in my family."

"I can't believe this. Nobody said it would be that hard to get a blessing. I didn't know I had to prove myself. Why didn't you tell me about this tradition before?"

"I had forgotten all about it. Don't start blaming me for all this."

"What's it gonna be?" Kai asked, "Are you gonna prove yourself or what?"

"I...I need some time to think about this," Jay said, walking away.

I shook my head, placing my hand on my forehead. I looked over to my brother. "Kai, why can't you just automatically bless our marriage? There's nothing wrong with saying that you'll let the marriage happen. Dad's not here anymore. It's time to give up on traditions."

"Why should we give up on tradition?" Kai asked, "These are some of the only things we have to remember Dad. The best thing we can do is keep traditions and celebrations strong."

"I can understand the celebrations, but the traditions just have to go. Some of them are just plain stupid. Nobody goes by them anymore."

"Why would you say that? Those traditions are not stupid. Just for that, I refuse to bless your marriage."

"Kai, come on. Please!"

"If you refuse to bless their marriage, then I will bless them myself," Sensei Wu said.

"You're not part of our family, Sensei," Kai said.

"Kai, he's a part of the family that we have now," I said.

"I'm not changing my mind, Nya. I'm not blessing your marriage. Nobody here is blessing your marriage."

"Somebody here will offer at the last minute," Sensei said.

"You know what?" I said, "Forget about it. We don't need your blessing. Jay and I will just get married. We don't care what you say about it."

"One of these day, you will," Kai said, "You'll regret the day you didn't get a marriage blessing."

"Why should that matter to you?" I was done talking to him. There was no use changing his mind. I don't get why my brother takes things so seriously. It's time to give all that up. That may never happen, but I'm sure Kai will get over it.

I found Jay sitting on the hood of his truck. I walked over there to him and sat down. My hand touched his. He looked me in the eyes. "Why is it that some tradition has to come up when a couple decides to get married? Especially when a couple is in need of a blessing."

"About the blessing, Jay, I told them to forget about it," I said, "We don't need a blessing to get married. All we need is our love. Why should a blessing from somebody else matter whether or not we should be together?"

"To make sure our wedding is approved of."

"That shouldn't matter. You didn't even know what a blessing was until a few minutes ago."

"That's because nobody in my family had to have one. My parents never got a blessing and look at them now. Their love is stronger than ever."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"I just didn't think that it mattered. Why should it matter to your brother if it doesn't matter to me?"

"It shouldn't have to matter to either of us. Let's just move on. Our wedding is going to happen no matter what. We don't need some stupid blessing. It's time to be happy about our marriage, whether anyone likes it or not."

Jay nodded. "You're right, babe. I shouldn't worry about it."

"That's my fiancee. Now how about a kiss?"

Jay kissed me fully on the lips for a whole minute. I think that's the longest kiss we've had so far. Our lips pulled apart. "How was that?"

"Amazing. Let's do it again."

We kissed again, only this time it was longer that before. Now I know how it feels to kiss your fiancee on the hood of his truck. It feels like heaven.

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER WAS A LITTLE DRAMATIC. KAI CAN BE SO SERIOUS SOMETIMES. AND HOT HEADED. WHY CAN'T HE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME THINGS ARE KIND OF RIDICULOUS. IF TWO PEOPLE LOVE EACH OTHER, ALLOW THEM TO BE TOGETHER NO MATTER WHAT.**

 **WELL, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. SPRING BREAK IS OVER.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	54. Cole and Carol Are Lost Little Lambs

CHAPTER 53

COLE AND CAROL ARE LOST LITTLE LAMBS

 **CAROL`S POV:**

The days turned to night. It's one of those moments when I should've my sketchbook, but I didn't. We were in such a hurry, I completely forgot about it. Oh, well. I'll find something somewhere. The stars were coming out. If only I could draw them. Now was not the best time to be thinking about art. This was my first time outside the house since everything happened. Well, actually, this is my second time, but I'm pretty sure everyone gets the point. I heard groans coming from one of the tents. My brother was still in pain after being bitten one too many times. Even though he was bitten, he wouldn't turn into one of those things. He was immune. That's just the way it was for him. Those things couldn't harm him, no matter how many bites he received. It's so many bites that put him in pain.

I couldn't stand to hear my brother in pain. I wanted to go in there and hold him tight to get rid of it. I couldn't, though. William and Wallace said he needed to rest until the pain stopped. It could take a while, they said. It's happened before. The way they said it's happened before just made me feel shaky. I never wanted this to happen to Gregory in the first place. It scares me to see that this is what happens to people when they don't listen to you. When they run off and get themselves hurt. The pain is unbearable to stand afterwards.

I couldn't take it so I ran off to the woods. Well, I didn't go completely into the woods, but I stood in front of it. I looked back to see everyone else setting up camp. They didn't need me for now. They'll forget about me for some time and then I'll come back unnoticed. It's a skill I had. I disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye. I guess a couple of hours wouldn't hurt. I did what I thought would be right for me. I walked into the woods, hoping nobody would noticed that I was gone just for a bit.

 **COLE'S POV:**

I was outside when I saw Carol walking into the woods. When she heard her brother groan in pain, she couldn't stand it. I can understand. It's hard to feel the same pain as your siblings. I may not have siblings for real, but I do have brothers. As my brothers, I can feel how it is to feel the same as them. It doesn't happen often, but there are times when it can effect me. I know exactly how Carol feels, but it also makes me think that she shouldn't just walk away from her problems. Walking out in the woods alone can be dangerous, especially in a world like this.

I had to go out and find her. I grabbed my bag and walked over to Sensei`s tent. I had to let him know where I'm heading off to before I just leave. When I got to his tent, he looked up at me. He was looking in his spirit smoke and meditating like he usually did. This time he noticed I was in front of him and looked up.

"Is there a problem, Cole?" Sensei asked, "You have your bag."

"Carol walked out into the woods by herself," I said, "I need to follow her so nothing happens. If I'm not back by sunrise, have the others come and search for us. I'm sure to be back by then."

"I will make sure of that. I fear a great disturbance will happen in the woods soon. Go and and find her as quick as you can."

"I will. Thank you, Sensei."

"Of course. Now go. Bring her back home."

Without anybody else noticing, I left the camp in the search for Carol. I should be glad to have a flashlight with me. It was becoming pretty dark. The woods give off no kind of light. A flashlight is the only thing you can have in order to get anywhere around here. Hopefully it will help me find Carol. I pointed the light down on the ground. I had the feeling that Carol might have left behind some footprints to find her way back. I was able to find a trail of blue. I'm pretty sure it belonged to Carol. The blue looked a lot like paint.

A few days ago, before all this happened, I was walking around the mansion having nothing else to do with my time. I stopped by one particular door that looked colorful. I went inside to see more that a hundred paintings hanging on the walls and ceiling. Some were still not finished yet and remained on their easals. In all my life, I've never seen paintings like the ones I witness in that very room. I guess Carol is pretty talented when it comes to art. I'd like to get to know her more. If you think I like her that way, you're sorely mistaken. Sure, I may have a bit of a crush on her, but I wasn't fully in love with her yet.

I shook those thoughts out of my head and continued walking. It was best to keep those thoughts away for now. I heard footsteps right in front of me. I shined my flashlight to see Carol pointing a dart shooter at me. I held up my hands in defense. That was pretty stupid of me. I shown my face to her with the flashlight.

"There's nothing to fear," I said, "It's just me. Cole."

Carol lowered her dart shooter. "What are you doing out here? Did you follow me?"

"Well,... yes, I did. It wasn't on purpose, though. I was worried about you. I saw you walking in the woods by yourself. You can't do that. It's already dangerous out here as it is, even if those things are asleep."

"I guess you're right, but I couldn't stand hearing my brother in pain. It breaks my heart to even hear a groan come out of his mouth. I just thought leaving for a couple of hours would clear my head."

"Well, it would've been better to ask one of us to come along with you."

"Why is it that people think I can't do things on my own? Is it because I'm stupid? Do all of you think I'm just some stupid girl?"

"No, none of us think that. It's too dangerous for somebody to be alone out here. What if something we're to happen to you?"

"I've come out here on my own plenty of times. Nothing has ever happened to me. The only time I ever got hurt in the woods was when I was climbing a tree and I fell off and twisted my ankle. It didn't hurt that bad, though. I walked all the way home. I was only eight when it happened."

"We're all grown up now. When you're in the woods, you need to take things seriously. You can't just run around all over the place. Survival is the only way you'll make it out here."

"I can survive out here on my own. You'll see. A girl like me can do anything she pleases. Whether you like it or not, I'm not sticking with you."

"Carol, we need to get back to camp. I told Sensei Wu that I would be back around sunrise. If I wasn't, he would send the others out here to find us."

"So you admit that I'm stupid?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well, you were thinking it."

"How do you even know what I'm thinking? That wasn't even what I had in mind at all."

It was too late, anyway. Carol continued walking away. I shook my head, seeing I was an idiot for letting her leave like that. I sighed, thinking about turning back without her, but I knew I couldn't do that. I shouldn't be having those thoughts. Clearing those thoughts away, I walked in the direction Carol went in. After a few steps, I heard a scream. It sounded an awful lot like... Carol. Not hesitating, I ran to where the sound came from. I looked to see Carol lying on the ground, a wound on her left arm. A pool of blood laid around it. Her head had a cut the size of a baseball. I shined my flashlight to see a Anacondrai standing there with a knife in his hand. I'm pretty sure he couldn't see where he stabbed Carol thanks to the darkness, but he got her. I wasn't gonna let him get away with this. I removed my dark shooter out of my pocket and pointed it at the snake. He sank to his knees.

"Pease don't take me down," the Anacondrai said, "I didn't mean to hurt her. Honest. I thought she was a ninja."

"So you're still after the ninja, huh?" I asked, "You had no idea that she's my sister."

"Cole," Carol said, trying to raise her head to look at me.

"It's okay, Carol," I said, "I'm handling this now."

"I didn't know," the snake said, "I'm sorry."

"You really thought we were the ninja, huh? Some snakes can be so stupid, huh, sis? Well, I'm not gonna let him go that easily. Not after what he did to you."

"What are you gonna do to me?"

"Nothing much. Just this." I shot a dart at his head. The Anacondrai dropped his knife and fell to the ground. That should keep him down for some time. I walked up to make sure he was really down before I picked up his knife and took it as my own. I walked back over to Carol, who was still lying on the ground. I looked at her, pain filling her eyes. I had that same feeling as well. "I know how you feel. Everything will be okay."

"Why did you tell that snake that I was your sister?" Carol asked.

"I didn't want him to find out that I was a ninja. Don't worry. He's out like a light."

Carol groaned in pain at her injuries. "I really need help. Can you get me back to camp?"

"Sure thing."

"Wait. How are you gonna get me back?"

"I'll carry you."

I picked Carol up and started carrying her back to camp. Unfortunately, we weren't anywhere near the camp. It felt as thought I was walking Carol and I in circles. I'm pretty sure I was. When sunrise was coming around, I saw that I was lost. I just lost us in the woods.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE COLE AND CAROL ARE LOST LITTLE LAMBS. THEY FOUND THEIR WAY IN THE WOODS, BUT THEY CAN'T FIND THEIR WAY OUT. IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN YOU HAVE AN INJURED FRIEND, YOU NEED TO GET THEM TO SAFETY AS FAST AS YOU CAN.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE MY POLL.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	55. Doctoring a New Friend

CHAPTER 54

DOCTORING A NEW FRIEND

 **COLE'S POV:**

By the time the morning sunrise came around, I knew we were lost. I wasn't sure how long I was carrying Carol. A few hours, maybe? However long it was, I wasn't getting tired. She was, though, so I had to put her down and let her rest for a minute. The cut on her forehead was starting to bleed again so I had to tie a scarf around it to stop the process of it. It hurt her a bit, but I was as gentle as I possibly could. Her eyes were starting to close. That started worrying me. If her eyes closed, she might not wake up. I had to keep her eyes opened in order for her to not fall asleep. The best thing to do was to talk to her. If someone was about to fall asleep and they were injured, talk to them for as long as possible.

"Hey, don't go to sleep, okay," I said, "You might have a concussion. If you go to sleep, you might never wake up. I'm not saying that to scare you. It's actually true."

"I know," Carol said, "I just can't keep my eyes open. The pain in my arm is unbearable. I just feel like I wanna pass out."

"Don't think about that. Think about something else. Think about something you enjoy doing the most. Think about something that you can't stand not doing for one whole day. What would that be?"

"Painting."

"Okay, well, think about your paintings."

"How do you know about my paintings?"

"I went inside of one of the rooms one day because I was getting a better look at things. I must say that you have some very gorgeous paintings. They look so... realistic."

"That's the same thing my parents said. They love my art. I'm glad they do. Thank you for your kind words."

I nodded. "Anytime." I kept a sharp eye out to see if anything or anyone was near us. We needed to find somewhere to go and fast. A little place where I came tend to Carol`s injuries. I looked down I Carol, who's eyes were halfway opened. I gotta keep her awake. I just need to keep on talking. "Come on, Carol. We need to get a move on. I'm not sure what's out here, but I sure don't want either of us to be anywhere near it."

"My arm is throbbing with pain. Can you check it for me, please?"

"Yeah. Let me get this off." I had placed a pillowcase around her arm. I check where she had been cut. It was still bleeding a bit. The knife didn't go to the bone, but it was only an inch or two away. It was still pretty deep that it needed to be sewed up. I placed my eyes on her sleepy ones. "It didn't go straight to the bone, thank goodness. It's still deep, though. We'll have to close the wound."

"How are you gonna do that?"

I started tying the pillowcase around her arm. "I'll have to use a thread and needle and stitch it up."

"Do you know how to do that?"

"I did it once. Kai had cut his foot on some wire and I had to sew it back up. He refused to go to the hospital. It was painful for him, but how hard do you think it was doing it the first time?"

"Pretty hard, I guess. Are you good at it now?"

"Yeah, I am. I've studied it so it shouldn't be that hard. We need to get somewhere, though. I can't do it out here."

"Okay. I'll try to stay awake."

I stood up and picked Carol up from off the ground. I had to keep her talking. Just talk and walk is what I usually say. "I'll make sure you stay awake. Okay, so how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"What a coincidence. I'm eighteen, too. So, you've lived in Spaintown all your life, huh?"

"Yeah. My mother's more Hispanic than my father. He's only half. She's full blooded Spanish."

"So you're a quarter Ninjian?"

"No. A quarter English. Nobody in my family has ever dated a full blooded native from Ninjago. Well, that's what I've been told."

"So you don't really know?"

"No, not really. If only there was a way I could figure out who my ancestors were."

"You'll figure it out one day. I hope you don't figure it out the same way I did. Once I figured out about my ancestors, I couldn't look at myself the same way in the mirror again."

"Why?"

"Well,... oh, look, we found a house."

"What?"

I pointed to where the tiny house right in front of us was. "Right there. Don't worry. We'll stay there until the others find us. For now, we need to get you fixed up."

We entered the house. It didn't seem like a bad little place. It had a nice living room. I wonder where the bed is, though. I need to find a bed for Carol. Not being able to find one, I placed her on the couch. I kept my eyes peeled for something that could work. A medical bag of some sort.

"What are you doing?" Carol asked.

"Trying to find some medical supplies," I said, "I have a feeling this house might be filled with them."

Carol sniffed the air. "Something smells like herbs. It's coming from that room. It's making me feel sleepy."

"Don't fall asleep. I'll be right back."

I walked inside the room to wear the scent of the herbs were. I looked to see a bunch of medical supplies all over the place. I needed to collect what I could. I suppose whoever lived here still had some herbs out and went out to get more supplies. I just hope nobody lives here at this point in time. I found the necessary supplies that were needed to help Carol as I walked back inside the living room.

Carol looked at me as I walked back in the room. "What's all that?"

"Just some medical supplies," I said, "Hang on a moment. I'm gonna go see if I can't find a bedroom of some sort."

"This house looks pretty tiny. I don't think you're gonna find a bedroom in here. You can try, though."

"Trying is the only option."

I went around the place to try and find a bedroom. The best thing is to find a bed at the least. I looked through every door I could find. The only bed I saw was one that looked like a hospital bed. I walked back in the living to see Carol still awake, but I'm pretty sure she couldn't wait to go to sleep. I walked up to her.

"Did you find a bedroom?" Carol asked.

"No, but I found a bed," I said, "It's better than nothing. Come on. Let's do a bit of surgery."

"You never said this would be like surgery."

"When you're closing up a wound, I think it's mostly known as emergency surgery. In your case, I think we're slowing down the process."

"Slowing down the process?"

"I took too long to get you somewhere. That's what it means." I made it to the room with Carol in my arms. I put her down on the bed and made her comfortable before I did anything. "Alright. Let me prepare for this. First things first. I need to wash my hands." I left to find the kitchen and found the sink, keeping them under the water for at least five minutes. I'm pretty sure my hands have been everywhere and I haven't washed them in a while. I walked back into the room after I was finished. "Alright. I think I'm ready."

"You think?"

"I know I'm ready. Okay, I need you to stay calm. If you need to go to sleep, go ahead. Otherwise, if you keep your eyes open, you're gonna be in some pain. I'm just being honest. That's how it was when I did this with Kai."

"I might fall asleep by the first stitch. You won't worry about me for long."

"Alright. I'm about to start the process. Here I go."

The moment I created the first stitch was when Carol couldn't take the pain. She passed out instantly after the first stitch. I continued the process without any interruptions by movements. It took a few minutes to close up the wound on Carol`s arm. I was finished with it. I bandaged it up tightly and made sure that the wound doesn't open back up. After all, that happened with Kai once. I'll just say that it was an unexpected situation. He hates being in the hospital for any reason.

I moved on to the cut on her forehead. It didn't have to be stitched up, thank goodness. I was able to find some ointment that might be able to help it clear up. I'm pretty sure it would leave a scar, but I have a feeling that scar will remind her not to wander off on her own. After I cleaned it off and bandaged it, Carol automatically woke up, wincing in pain a little bit.

I saw a smile form on her face. "Am I all fixed?"

"I fixed you up as well as I can," I said.

"Thank you."

"Sure thing. Anytime." I placed the blanket over her shivering body. "Time for you to get some rest."

Carol nodded. "Alright. I will."

I placed my hand on her forehead. She felt a bit warm. I was hoping she didn't have a fever, but just in case, I went to find a thermometer. That's when I heard the door open. I looked to see a guy walk inside the house, eyes widen to find me in the living room.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE CAROL WILL BE OKAY. SHE JUST NEEDS TO REST. WHO WAS THAT MYSTERIOUS GUY THAT JUST WALKED IN THE HOUSE? I HOPE HE LIVES THERE. OTHERWISE, THERE'S GONNA BE ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.**

 **WELL, THIS STORY WIL CONTINUE NEXT SATURDAY. I'LL SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	56. The Mysterious Guy

CHAPTER 55

THE MYSTERIOUS GUY

 **COLE'S POV:**

I saw the man walk right in, looking at me like I was somebody he's never seen before. Which he's never seen me in his life probably. I guess he's not a big fan of the ninja. He dropped the bag he had in his hand and removed his dart shooter from its holder that dangled at his side. I backed away, trying to keep this guy from taking me down and sending me out with those things. I knocked some things over, which made his finger want to press down on the trigger to stop me. I fell to my knees, trying to show him that I was begging or mercy. I would do what he wanted. The one thing I want is for him to not cause harm to Carol. That's all I ask. He'll understand. I know he will. He seems like the type of person that would listen even if his life depended on it.

"Listen, I didn't mean to trespass, but I came here because my friend got hurt and I had to tend to her injuries somehow," I said, "Please. We didn't mean to waltz inside your home for no reason. We just needed to find a place that could help her. I was doing all I can."

The man still held up his dart shooter, but he looked me straight in the eyes. "You sure that you didn't break in for my herbs? You didn't plan to steal anything of mine?" He saw that I didn't speak so he became frustrated. "Come on. Speak up. I don't have time to stand around here pointing this thing a you. I have a life, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry. No, I'm not here to take any of your herbs. I just needed to help my friend. I'm sure you can understand. I was trying to help her."

The man nodded his head, putting his dart shooter away. "Alright. Sorry I pointed that thing at you. I don't really trust people that much these days. You know, with all this stuff going on and all that."

I nodded. "I understand. You're just trying to protect your herbs. Speaking of which, why do you have so many?"

"Well, after all this stuff happened, I've had to work hard to figure out a cure. I know what you're thinking. Why is a young guy such as me wasting his time trying to find a cure for the wanderer apocalypse? Well, first of all, I don't consider myself young, even though I'm twenty years old. Second, I don't really have anything else to do in my spare time, so I decided to use this time as a chance to figure out how to end all this. The first thing I did was collect more herbs. Over the years, I've actually been able to grow some of my own. It wasn't that difficult. All you had to do was either removed the seeds or plant the herb itself. I did that a lot of times. It wasn't hard to figure out which herb was which. My father had started studying herbs and its ways of healing since he was young. I'd say he was a little kid. We were all kids once. Anyway, before he left to head out on some journey, he passed the book down to me. I held it for dear life and used it for good. There was actually a time when my mother started becoming sick and the only way to cure it was by using a certain herb called tint. In order to give it to her, I had to find the herbs and crunch them up inside a cup of tea. It took a couple of days after giving it to my mother before her fever died down. That's when I decided to start making herbs that not only help people, but save their lives. That's exactly what I'm doing now. Trying to save everyone from the mess they're in."

"Is that what you were doing? You went out to find more herbs?"

"No, I was running low on food, plus I needed to find a few ingredients for the supplement I'm making."

"Where did you get all that?"

"There's a community about a mile away. I don't live there, but my mother and grandmother do. I told them to stay there while I stayed here and work up on the cure. I don't enjoy them living in these conditions. I only went there because they have grocery specials. They usually do it once a week when they have people still remaining in the factories."

"You mean there are still people out there who are working in factories and incorporation during the apocalypse. Why would people do that?"

"Just because an apocalypse happened doesn't mean that it's technically the end of the world. Some of these businesses have generators. Some people still make power sources for those generators. If every business were to have a generator, then everything in Ninjago would go back to normal and people could still their lives like they normally would. Sure, the wanderers would still be around, but we could handle them. If we had to, we'll hide out for three days. Wait it all out until they fall back asleep. There are people that are in Chitow City in television studios working on trying to make TV shows and cartoons again. Radios still work without generators. You can just turn it on and see that there are still people working in those stations. Things are just trying to become normal. I'm pretty sure you can understand that."

"I'm not sure it'll work, though. People try to live daily, normal lives while there are wanderers all over the place. What will you do with the wanderers?"

"Stick them in a truck and send them to an in closed fence. They'll stay there until we find a cure for them."

"You'd locked up innocent people inside of a fence?"

"I agree with you that they're innocent people, but they're also dangerous. We need to keep them away from the people. I'm sure you can understand. We need to keep the population as high as possible."

"I understand what you're saying, but their called wanderers for a reason. They wander. If you put them inside of an in closed fence, they won't have any room."

"We'll find a big plot of land to build the fence at then. That solves the problem. Do you have anymore complaints to give me?"

"None that I know of."

"Good. Where is your friend? Did you place her in the hospital bed that was placed in here? You know, when I came here, I requested to the community that a hospital bed should be placed inside my cabin. A few days later, one was placed in here."

"Why did you want a hospital bed in here? You weren't using it for yourself, were you?"

"No. I use it for people that need actual help. What if I found someone that was sick? I would need to bring them here and take care of them."

"That's true."

"Show me to your friend. I'd like to take a look at her."

"I already stitched her up and wrapped it. She had a cut on her head, but it wasn't deep or anything. I applied some medicine on it and patched it up. Maybe you should make sure I did everything step by step."

We went inside the room. Carol was peacefully sleeping after such a surgical ordeal. The guy went up to her and checked her out. "What exactly happened to her?"

"An Anacondrai came out and hurt her. Stabbed her in the arm and cut her on the forehead. I tried taking her back to our camp, but we got kind of lost in the woods, if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean." Nick started to remove the bandages. "Don't worry. I'm only trying to see how well you stitched her up. It'll only take a second. Did you try sing any type of anesthetics?"

"I didn't see any around here. I know what it looks like, but I couldn't find any."

He slapped his forehead. "Dang it. I knew I should've went to the pharmacy. I always forget the most important things."

I stuck my hands in my pockets. "You know, I never really caught you name. Do you mind telling me what it is?"

"The name's Nicholas James Armegon. Most people just call me Nick."

"I think I know of a person that has the same last name as you. Her name is Kitty, though."

"You know Kitty Armegon?"

"Yes. Why? Are you two related in some way?"

"She's my sister."

"Your sister?"

"If my sister is still with you guys, then she must be somewhere close by."

"Well, I'm sure the others are searching for Carol and I as we speak, but yes, your sister is still with us. No need to worry."

"I really wanna thank you guys for keeping her safe. I was starting to worry about her. I'm glad she was in the hands of the ninja."

"Hey, it's what we do. We protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"Well, I'm not sure that phrase relates to Kitty in any kind of way, but I really appreciate you guys taking care of her."

"Sure thing." I looked at Carol, who was breathing softly as she slept. "So how's Carol gonna be?"

"She'll be fine. You actually did a pretty good job stitching her up. Did you practicing doing this or something?"

"Well, this is actually my second time doing this. The first time was about a year ago. I will be honest, though. I've been studying medical books for years."

"Well, you and your friend here are more than welcomed to stay here. How about you go and get some sleep?"

"Sounds like a good idea."

I left Nick to his work as he went back inside the herbs room to continue working on his supplements. I plopped down in the chair and took the longest nap that I think I've ever had. It's been a long night. Today has been one of those days. Better sleep now while I still can.

* * *

 **LOOKS LIKE WE'VE MET NICK, KITTY'S OLDER BROTHER. HE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE. OH, WELL. WE MEET CERTAIN PEOPLE IN UNUSUAL WAYS. I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT.**

 **WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	57. On The Search

CHAPTER 56

ON THE SEARCH

 **NYA`S POV:**

It's been since last night since Cole went out to find Carol and there was still no sign of them. I was starting to worry for the both of them. We've been walking around the woods trying to find at least a trace of them. I feel as though we were walking in circles. At least we had Sensei Wu guiding us through these dense woods. I worried that something happened to Cole and Carol last night since Cole promised to come back with Carol, but he hasn't yet. This was all making me feel nervous. And tired. I haven't felt so tired walking before. Now that I mentioned it, I was up half the night with worry, so I had to at least sit down and get some rest. Although, that wasn't gonna happen because we had to find those two before something worse happened.

Sensei Wu kept us on a good lead. He stopped for a moment and looked down on the ground. We all surrounded him as we saw what he was examining. He was looking at a pile of blood. It didn't look like too much blood, but just enough to make somebody pass out at the least. This made my heart beat faster. My breathing would hyperventilate if I didn't control it so well. I was starting to freak out just like Carol did when something scared her or worried her. I felt like a heat flash was blasting my way as the worrying continued. A shaking sensation wanted my bones to rattle. Sensei Wu saw all this happening to me. I guess he knew what was going on.

"Let us all take a break for a few minutes," Sensei Wu said, "I'm sure you all need to rest your feet and calm down for some time."

I sat down against a tree, worry filling my face. Jay came up next to me, sitting down and placing an arm around me. I didn't look at him, but I did speak. "I'm worried, Jay. It makes me feel as though I caught Carol`s worries and fears. I don't know what to do anymore. It's so ridiculous for me to be acting like this, but I can't help it. I hope you know of a way to help me with all this because I'm not sure what to do."

"We'll find them, Nya," Jay said, "I know you're worried. You didn't catch it from Carol. It isn't a disease or anything. Worrying is just something humans go through. Nobody catches it from anybody else. Everything will be alright. There's nothing to worry about, Nya."

"You're probably right."

"Aren't I always?"

We saw Kai walking up to us, a look of sadness on his face. He lowered down to both of us. "Hey, guys. I just wanted to come over and talk to you guys."

"About what?" I asked.

"About yesterday. It was stupid of me to say the things that I said. I wanted to apologize for that. I'm sorry for making things seem bad to you two. I hope you can forgive me."

"Kai, nothing that you do will ever make me stay mad at you. Sure, you may do a lot of this that make me mad, but even after that, you still seem to put a smile on my face. You wouldn't stay mad at him, would you, Jay?"

"No, I wouldn't," Jay said, "Unless he made me extremely angry, I wouldn't get mad at him for anything."

"Good to know," Kai said, "Which reminds me why I also came over here. Do you mind if I could borrow you for a minute, Jay?"

"That depends. Are you planning to make me mad?"

"No, not at all. I just want to talk. There will be no anger involved."

"If you say so." Jay stood up and turned to me. "I'll be right back. I hope you don't mind staying over here alone for a few minutes."

"I don't mind," I said, "I'll be fine. After all, I can take care of myself."

Jay nodded, leaving with Kai. I couldn't hear their conversation, but I could the expressions on their faces when they spoke. It didn't really sound like Kai`s face was angry with Jay or anything. In fact, it looks like they were just having a normal conversation, even though I'm pretty sure I know what they're talking about.

I couldn't anymore of their conversation because Kitty came up and sat down next to me. She smiled at me. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing just fine, thank you," I said.

"It's been a while since you and I have actually had an actual conversation together. Why is that?"

"I don't know. I guess it's because I've been trying to help Carol."

"Why are you helping her? She seems to be the type of person that gets emotional easily. I've always had a problem being around people like her. Don't ask me why, but I've just always had that problem."

"There's not a problem with being around someone that gets emotional easily. That's just who Carol is. You can't change a person."

"No, you can't, but I wish that she would at least calm about. It kind of gets on my nerves when she freaks out even for the smallest things. I don't even do that. If it was something big, maybe I would. I said the word maybe so don't think of any other word."

"I wasn't thinking about that."

Kitty held up her hand to silence me. She sniffed the air, smelling something around her. She looked at me. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"Oh, right. I forgot. I'm the only one that can smell things from a far distance."

"A far distance?"

"Yep. It's a power of mine."

"What do you smell?"

"I smell something that has a familiar scent. I've always smelled it so much growing up as a child." Kitty continued sniffing the air until she gasped. "I know that smell. It isn't too far." Kitty jumped up and ran towards the others. "Guys, we need to get a move on."

"Kitty, what's going on?" I ran up to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Everything's aye okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure I've sensed that smell anywhere. The smell of herbs have always been in the air ever since I was a little girl. I know it from anywhere."

"Was you mother a specialist on herbs or something?"

"No, somebody else. Come on. I'll show you when we get there."

Kitty led the group in the woods, all of us thinking that she was leading us in the wrong direction. It looks as though she wasn't, though. She stopped us a few feet away from this tiny cabin that didn't look like it would fit all of us. After all, all the children that were with the elders ran off somewhere and haven't been seen since then. We were worried about them, but we would find them soon as well. This cabin had a big interest to Kitty. I wasn't sure why.

I walked up to Kitty. "Are you alright, Kitty? You gave me quite a scare back there."

"I'm fine, Nya," Kitty said, "There's nothing to worry about. This is our destination."

"Are you sure Cole and Carol might be in there?" Jay asked.

"Well, to be honest, I have this strange feeling that they are. I don't know why."

"You led us here, Kitty," Sensei Wu said, "Lead the way inside."

"As you wish, Sensei Wu." Kitty walked up to the door and knocked on it. Suddenly, without warning, this strange man swung open the door and grabbed Kitty in his arms, grasping her in a tight hug. Kitty returned the favor, hugging him back. They were laughing and giggling in joy, looking happy to see each other. Kitty gave the man a smile. "I'm so happy to see you again, Nick. Did you notice us coming?"

"I did," the guy named Nick said, "I love having good sight. I missed you, sis."

"I missed you, too, brother."

"So this was the brother you were talking about?" I asked.

"Yes, he is," Kitty said, "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my older brother. This is Nicolas James Armegon. Most people call him Nick, though."

"Good to meet you guys," Nick said, "There's a lot of you here. I'm not sure there's room for all of you in my cabin."

"Nick?" Monica voice came as she stepped away from behind her father. "Is that you?"

"Monica?" Nick asked. Once he finally noticed her, Nick ran up to her. "I'm so glad to see you're alright." He wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm glad for the same thing." Monica pressed a kiss against Nick`s lips, kissing for what seemed like a whole five minutes.

I tapped on Kitty's shoulder. "Is there a reason why they're kissing like that?"

"You don't remember me mentioning that those two are engaged?" Kitty reminded me.

I had almost forgot about that. I had so much on my mind I didn't have the chance to think about that. After a few minutes, we went inside the cabin and saw Cole napping in the chair while Carol slept in the hospital bed that was placed in there. At least we accomplished one thing today.

* * *

 **WELL, THEY FOUND COLE AND CAROL. LUCKY FOR THEM. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT. NICK AND MONICA FOUND EACH OTHER. KITTY FOUND HER BROTHER. I'M HAPPY. YOUR HAPPY. EVERYBODY'S HAPPY. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. I MADE A QUICK CHANGE ON MY POLL. NOW YOU CAN MAKE THREE CHOICES.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	58. A Community

CHAPTER 57

A COMMUNITY

 **NYA`S POV:**

The inside of Nick`s cabin looked more like a doctor's office than a nice little place to live. Although, I'm pretty sure that's how a doctor used to live their lives is inside their medical cabins, never getting married and never returning to their own home. They're so caught up in their jobs that they have no time for anything else. Nick doesn't seem like that kind of person. He changed the cabin into his own personal medicine lab. I'm not sure where he got all those herbs, but I knew better than to ask. He seemed like the type of person to not be bothered. Either way, he also seems like the type of person who enjoys having guests around. He actually makes us feel comfortable inside a cabin filled with the smell of supplements.

I lay my head on Jay`s shoulder and tried to close my eyes, but they wouldn't even droop. I guess I'm not as tired as I thought. Kai noticed it, but he just turned his head a little bit and tried not to look at me. I frowned. I don't get it. I thought he and Jay had a talk. I thought everything was okay. I guess I was wrong. I guess I had no idea that Kai could still be angry with our engagement. You know what. Forget him. I don't care what he has to say about all this. If he doesn't agree with mine and Jay`s engagement without having my fiancee to prove himself, that's his problem. I'm still gonna marry Jay no matter what happens.

Nick came in the living room with a tray filled with tea cups. I looked to see what kind of tea it was. It looked kind of blue and I had no intentions on drinking it. I really thought it looked like a blob of blue pain inside a tea cup. I did not want to drink it, but I pretended to, only to have a blue stain on my upper lip. I rolled my eyes when I saw Jay laughing. He handed me a napkin which I used properly, only to have him still laughing at me. I set the cup down and went back to the pose I started in.

Nick looked at us. "You two seem perfect together."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Jay asked.

"Not only do I have the sense of sight, but I also have a way to sense someone's personality. I will say that you two are meant to be together. So, when's the wedding?"

"How do you know we're engage?" I asked.

"Perhaps he's been spying on us," Kai said, jumping to conclusions as usual.

"Relax, buddy," Nick said, "Don't jump to conclusions just yet. You see, I have what they call the sense of sight. I can see things happening in my brain. I also know what's going on with somebody at that exact moment, no matter where they are or what they're doing."

"Have you done anything about it?" Zane asked. You know, I've seen that Zane doesn't really talk as much as he used to.

"No. There's no reason to. Besides, who would I tell when nobody will believe me. I have no trust in psychologist trying to poke around in my brain. They seriously don't need to get in my head. Not one bit. Some of the events I witness everyday are wonderful, but some can usually be very difficult to bear. Very difficult. I know what you're thinking. I should be trying to get some help with this, but I really don't need it. I promise you that."

"How do you feel about this, Kitty?" Kai asked.

"I've always known about it," Kitty said, "He was born to use his sight for good reasons. I was born to smell things from far distances. My brother and I were born with a certain type of function that helps us get through everyday life. Something that could save our lives one day."

"I'm sure you're okay with this, my daughter?" Sensei Wu asked, eyeing Nick with a stern look.

"Of course I am, Daddy," Monica said, "I don't think I've properly introduced Nick to you. Nick, this is my father, Wu. Daddy, this is my fiancee, Nick."

Nick stood up and extended a hand. "Good to meet you, sir."

Sensei just looked at Nick`s hand. "I don't approve of handshakes. Tell me, do you know how to bow in a sensei`s presence?"

"Excuse me?"

With that, Sensei proved his point by having Nick bow his head while Sensei forced his head down with his staff. Monica gasped. "Daddy, what are you doing?"

"I'm just teaching your fiancee how to introduce himself to me properly," Sensei said.

"Daddy, you're hurting him."

"Sometimes the pain is a good thing."

"Remove your staff off him now!" Monica shouted so loud I though my ear drums would burst.

Sensei scoffed. "Well, it seems as though my daughter is forcing me with words. Do you really think I'm going to listen to you with that kind of tone, missy? You're lucky I was able to handle your teenage drama."

"Daddy, I'm serious. Just leave him alone."

"Fine." Sensei removed his staff off Nick`s neck. "This won't be the last lesson I teach you."

Monica placed her hands on her hips. "Daddy, you knew that Nick and I were engaged and we were going to be married soon. You even wrote me a letter stating how happy you were for me."

"That's before I finally seen him with my own two eyes. I may be old, but my eyesight is exceptionally well."

"That's good to hear, uh..." Nick wasn't sure what to call Sensei by.

"You are to refer to me as Mr. Wu," Sensei Wu said.

"Yes, Mr. Wu."

"Daddy!" Monica exclaimed with anger.

"He will learn to respect me, no matter what it takes, my daughter," Sensei said, "Oh, and I'm postponing your wedding."

"Daddy, we're already having to postpone the wedding."

"Then there's nothing to worry about."

"Are you finished?"

"Yes, I am."

"Thank you." Monica turned her attention towards Nick. "So, Nick, you were saying that you wanted to tell everyone something while we were in the kitchen."

"Yes, of course, I did," Nick said, "I was wanting to tell you all about a community that you may take a certain liking to."

"What do you mean by that?" Kai asked.

"There's a community about a mile away from here that would be happy to take you in. So far, they have about over a hundred and fifty people residing there. I'm sure there's enough room for all of you. Once a week, they're able to get a shipment of food brought in by some of the factories that are still opened up and running perfectly. A factory filled with drinking water was able to help purify it and send in clean, safe water throughout all of Ninjago. It does take about three days to make one hundred thousand giant jugs of purified drinking water, but at least it's enough for the people of Ninjago. They purify it during the three days of the wanderer attacks. They never really come around the factory unless they see a person. They ignore the noises of the factories and just move on like a normal person would. You see, even though these wanderers have taken over, Ninjago is still able to live happy, normal lives. As long as we're inside of an in closed area and the wanderers can't see us, we're safe."

"Where is this community, anyway?" Garmadon asked.

"Does it have a name?" Misako asked.

"It doesn't have a specific name," Nick said, "The people only refer to it as the community. It's only about a mile away from here."

"Why do you remain here then?" Sensei Wu asked.

"This is where I make all my medicines at. If I made it inside the community, people will be tempted to steal it. I make medicines and send it to the hospital there. You see, when the community first started out, half its population was either injured or sick. Mostly children. I say that because some of the children are starting to get sick with something. I'm not very sure what it is. My theory is that they have a type of flu virus that's spreading around. They've all had it for a total of two weeks. Just yesterday, I went inside the hospital to see how the children were doing. One of them had a temperature of a hundred and four point nine for the past two weeks. When I took it today, it was only a hundred and two point one. I plan to go over there right away to see how the little one's doing. I've been trying to make some kind of medicine that might be able to help with this. The problem is the ingredients. I'm just not sure what to use."

"Have the adults experience the sickness?"

"None of the adults have. Just children. I'm not sure why, though. As they always say, children are more prone to catching a virus than adults are. I just didn't think that they could catch something so horrible. It just doesn't make sense."

"It will in time, Nick," Monica said, "You do have a way with children. You will stop at nothing until they're cured. I know that within the bottom of my heart."

"You've always believed in me," Nick said.

"Okay, before we start with any kissing and all that, do you mind if we can get this show on the road?" Cole said, "I think we should get going before Carol wakes up."

"Yes, of course. Let's get a move on."

With Cole holding Carol in his arms and Nick leading the way with Sensei`s approval, we started down a trail that lead us to a giant wooden fence. What was behind that fence must be the community, but this one was a lot different than all the others.

* * *

 **WELL, THE NINJA ARE HEADING OUT TO A COMMUNITY. I WONDER HOW GREAT THIS COMMUNITY IS COMPARED TO THE OTHERS. NYA WAS SERIOUS THAT SHE DOESN'T CARE WHAT KAI THINKS ABOUT HER AND JAY`S ENGAGEMENT. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER, SO LET THEM GET MARRIED IF THEY WANT TO.**

 **I WANT TO THANK ALL MY REVIEWER'S OUT THERE ONE BY ONE. WITHOUT YOU ALL, I WOULD'VE NEVER MADE IT TO ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS. I ALSO PASS ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WORDS. THANK YOU, GUYS. YOU ARE SO AWESOME.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	59. Home Sweet Community

CHAPTER 58

HOME SWEET COMMUNITY

 **NYA`S POV:**

I realized that Nick said there was a community, but he never told us where it was or how they were able to create it without getting caught by those wanderers. It was huge. I guess Nick was telling the truth about the hospital, but it wasn't an ordinary one. This was the Chitow City Memorial Hospital. It's where all the movie stars in Ninjago go to since they're the only ones that can afford it. If you were normal person, they would treat you with kindness and respect. Still, whether or not you were famous, people were still treated as people. There were some grocery stores and pharmacies here and there. A few clothing stores and a lot of houses. Even some apartments were opened up. I had a feeling that only some were occupied.

Nick led us to city hall. I had a feeling that the mayor of Chitow City was still alive due to the fact that he has big security on him. Nick stopped us in front of a pair of double doors. "Okay, I'll go ahead and tell you guys this. We were able to pick up a lot of refugees from Ninjago City, including Cyrus Borg. Basically, both him and Mayor Wilson are working together to try and get Ninjago back into rightful order. In older to become a citizen of this community, you have to go through them first. Plus, everyone has a job here so you'll be assigned one of those as well. So, without further ado, I introduce Mayor Cyrus Borg and Mayor Roger Wilson."

We walked inside the large room, taking everything in sight. In front of us is one man we knew and one man we've seen, but never met. Cyrus was on one side of the room, smiling at all of us. Roger Wilson was sitting at his desk, writing something on a stack of papers that was right in front of him. He stopped writing and looked straight at us. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, due to the crows feet and dark bags. I will say that he has more going on than just running a city. He was wearing a brown suit, and that's all I could see. Just the upper half of his body.

He gave us a smile. "Greetings, travelers, young and old. My apologies for calling the senior citizens here old. Although, I suppose you don't mind."

"Not at all," Sensei Wu said.

"I suppose they came to you first, Nick, before they came here," Borg said.

"They did, Cyrus," Nick said.

"Excellent. I was hoping the ninja would show up sooner or later. It's was only a matter of time. We've been expecting your arrival."

"I was able to explain to them about the community. They'll be familiar about our ways sooner or later. I'm hoping they do."

"Don't worry. They're the ninja. Not only will they be able to protect us, but they will also become normal citizens of the community. As long as they're here, we shall treat them with kindness and respect. If some people wanted to, we will treat them with dignity. Tell me, where have you all been this whole time?"

"From place to place," I said, "It was nowhere important. We're just glad to have found somewhere permanent for a while."

"For a while?" Wilson asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I know what they mean," Borg said, "They plan to bring Ninjago back to its former glory. It may take some time, but they will stop at nothing to save us. Which reminds me. Is Pixal still with you all?"

Pixal stepped up in front of us. "I'm right here, Mr. Borg."

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright, Pixal. I was starting to worry about you." They hugged each other for a quick moment. "Are you alright, Pixal?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Borg. I'm glad you're alright as well."

"I hope Zane has been taking care of you while I was away. If he hasn't, who know what kind of horrible experiments I might place on him."

"He's been taking great care of me. I am glad to be under the ninja`s care."

"Excellent. To be honest, I'm very glad all of you are safe and sound. Now that you're here, it's time to get straight down to business. I hope you all don't mind volunteering for jobs. Unfortunately, there are no banks and there isn't a way to transport money from one place to another. So, I'm assigning each of you a job. This should help us get more people and get a lot of work done. The hospital has been needing a few nurses. We lost some last week. They stated that there were too many thoughts inside their heads."

"There are always thoughts inside of people's heads," Cole said, doing his best to keep Carol in his arms.

"Oh, I must be finding you a new home," Borg said, "I have a feeling that you font want to hold that young lady there for long." He took one look at Carol`s brother Gregory. "Oh, my goodness. What happened to you?"

"It's a lot to explain, senor," Gregory said.

"I think the best thing to do is get you all to the hospital immediately. I don't want any illness traveling around the adults here. We've already got an illness traveling around with the children. By the way, Nick, have you figured what it is that's making the children so sick?"

"Not yet, but I'm still working on it," Nick said, "I've studied all the symptoms so I'm trying to make a treatment for it. The name of it is still unidentified."

"Are you still planning to check on my daughter?" Wilson asked.

"I was just about to do that right now if you don't mind, Mr. Wilson. I'll help the ninja get settled after they're finished getting checked out."

"Thank you, Nick. Alright, ninja. You heard Borg. Head to the hospital immediately."

"I'll be coming along with you to make sure nobody is severely hurt or sick," Borg said, "I need to check on the children, anyway."

We all headed out to the hospital where we were all checked out at the same time individually. Instead of doctors coming in to see us, we had registered nurses who were trained for this sort of thing. I had one who was in her late twenties and kind enough to help me. I was still healthy, but they just wanted to make sure. Once she turned everything off, I knew she was finished.

"Well, your temperature and everything else is normal," the nurse said, "You don't seem to have any major or minor injuries. That's a good sign. Looks like you're still healthy, ma'am."

"Thank you," I said, walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving. You said everything was fine, didn't you"

"I did, but there's still one more thing we need to do. I need to take a blood sample."

"A blood sample?" My eyes widened with fear. If there's one thing I hate more than anything else in the world, it's sharp needles poking inside of my skin. "I'm sorry. That won't be necessary. You see, I have a really big phobia of needles."

"There's nothing to fear, ma'am. We're authorized to take blood from newcomers of the community. It's the only way we can make sure you're not infected."

"I'm not infected. I know very well that I'm not."

"Nya, I'm coming in." I heard Kai`s voice from the other side of the door. I sighed and let him in. "I figured this would happen. Is she trying to escape from the grasp of needles?" I saw a bandage wrapped around my brothers left elbow. Looks as though they took blood out of him.

"Do you mind helping me out here?" the nurse asked, "I don't think I can get this needle in her without some aid."

"I've done it before. I don't mind doing it again. Come on, Nya. Let's sit up on the bed like a big girl."

"Listen, you really don't have to take blood out of me," I said, "I'm fine."

"They just wanna make sure, Nya."

"Kai, you're not helping matters."

Kai placed me up on the bed. "Really? I'm not?"

"No, you're bugging me. I really hate it when you do that. Why are you here, anyway? You wouldn't look me in the eyes earlier this morning. What were you talking to Jay about, anyway?"

"Let me explain, Nya."

"No, before you explain, let me tell you something. I've decided that I don't care about what you think. I don't care if you think that Jay and I shouldn't be together. If you don't agree with our engagement, then that's on you. I'm gonna marry him no matter what you say."

"That's not what Jay and I were talking about at all. I was telling him to forget about our traditions. It wasn't worth fighting over. I was blessing your marriage."

"Why didn't you tell both of us then?"

"I wanted to tell you both individually. Now I'm gonna tell you. Nya, I bless yours and Jay`s marriage."

"Thanks, Kai."

"Alright. I'm finished. I'll write you down and you'll be done. Thank you for your cooperation."

I gave Kai a stern look. He only did that for two reasons. He was blessing my marriage and he was trying to distract me from feeling the needle going through my arm. Once I was done, Kai and I went opposite ways. I wanted to tour around this place. See what it was like.

* * *

 **NYA HATES NEEDLES. I FIGURED I WOULD PLACE IN HER BIGGEST FEAR. I WONDER WHAT'LL HAPPEN WHEN SHE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GET A VACCINATION. OH, THAT'LL BE THE DAY. I HATE GETTING SHOTS MYSELF, BUT MY GRANDFATHER ONCE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD RELAX AND TAKE DEEP BREATHS WHEN GETTING SHOTS. I STILL LISTEN TO THAT ADVICE. HOW I MISS HIM.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	60. Severely Ill

CHAPTER 59

SEVERELY ILL

 **NYA`S POV:**

I started walking around the entire hospital, looking around to see that there were some adults here, but none of them were sick. Some were just injured and others had different reasons. I actually saw a couple who were welcoming a newborn baby in this world. Of all times, I'm not sure why someone would have a baby during this time, but I guess they were expecting before all this happened and now they had no choice but to have him. At least they did. Now he was their pride and joy and the one thing they have to keep safe. Putting a smile on my face, I continued walking, looking around from place to place, searching for all the children. When I went upstairs and found them on the second floor, I was shocked by what I saw. It almost made me shed tears.

I saw children in almost every room. Few rooms were opened, but I saw so many children everywhere. All of them were just so sick. Some didn't even look too sick, but they still looked the part. I actually saw a child that was both sick and hurt. He was being treated for his back wounds and you could hear his mother singing a soothing song to keep her child calm. When all else fails, what else can you do? After all, he was hurt and needed both medical and mental support. At least he still had his mother for that.

I heard a familiar voice coming from the room next door. I walked over to it, seeing Nick in there taking care of a little girl, who was as sick as a lot of the other children. I guess this must be Mayor Wilson's daughter. She was the one that Nick was taking care of. I heard his voice stay calm and gentle while saying kind words in order to reassure the young one that everything would be alright.

"Hey, there, little one," Nick said, "Did you miss me yesterday?"

The young girl opened her eyes a bit, nodding her head. "I did."

"Well, that lets me know that I have your trust. You I understand that I'm trying to make you feel better. How have you been feeling?"

"I feel a bit better today."

"Alright. Why don't we take your temperature." Nick took out if those ear thermometers and used it in her ear, figuring out her fever in the process. "Looks as though your fever went down some more. It's a hundred and one point six. Looks like you're in the clear zone."

"Does that mean I can take a bath?"

"It does. You can take a bath whenever you want. I'll send a nurse in to help you. I'll go and get your dad. He'll be happy to hear that you're getting better."

"Okay."

I couldn't help but smile. The moment didn't last long, though. I felt someone's hand touch my shoulder. I jumped and turned around, seeing that it was only Monica. I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad it's only you. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," Monica said, "I came down here to find Nick. Have you seen him?"

I nodded. "He's in there." I pointed to the room and saw Monica smile when she looked inside.

"He has such a sweet heart. That's why I love him so much. He's willing to take care of people, no matter who they are or where they come from. It's something that he's always done. Plus, he has such a way with children. Before all this happened, he was learning to be a pediatrician. He's always wanting to take care of children. He's hoping that me and him can have a household full of children one day. It's something he's always wanted. Hopefully, there's enough money in the budget."

"There's always gonna be something extra. I know that."

"Well, Borg wants us down in the lobby. I'm sure Nick will join up with us later."

"Well, to be honest, I'd rather be with Jay right now more than anything else. I just wanna make sure he's okay."

"I'm sure he's just fine. Come on. Let's go check on the others."

We went back on the first floor. I looked to see Jay standing there, a bandage wrapped around his elbow as well. He looked down at me as I walked up to him, wrapping his arms so tightly around me. I did the same, not having a care in the world how sore my arm was. Jay looked down at me.

"You okay?" Jay asked.

"I'm fine," I said.

"Are you sure? You have that look that makes me feel as though you're about to cry."

"Everything's fine. There's nothing to worry about." I placed my head on his chest. "I saw all those sick children just a few minutes ago."

"You went up to the second floor?"

"I was curious, Jay. I wanted to see what was going on. Every room I passed by, all I could see was a sick little child. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes."

"That bad, huh?"

"Just seeing those children makes me think about Emma and Nathan."

"Whose Emma and Nathan?"

"The two children that I told you about. I stayed with them and their parents until I could recover. It's when we first met up with each other again after all of this happened."

Jay snapped his fingers. "Oh, right. Now I know what you're talking about."

"I just wish I could go back and find them. Who knows what could be happening at this very moment?"

"Well, I'm sure it isn't anything bad. Maybe they're still where you left them at. Or maybe they decided to stay in our home for the time being. At this point, I don't think anyone would mind. Our home is a nice place to stay at."

"I know. I just have that feeling that maybe we should just go out and find them."

"You want us to go back to the city and find them?"

"It's just a suggestion, Jay. I didn't say we had to do it."

"The tone in your voice is saying we have to."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. Nya, I don't mind going out and helping you find them, but not at this very moment. We just found a place we can call home for a while. Let's enjoy it while we still can. Now let me see that famous Nya smile."

"I don't think this is a good time right now."

"I'm just trying to make you feel better. Show me that smile."

"Oh, alright." I showed him my smile, making him smile as well. I giggled. "Did that make you happy?"

Jay nodded. "It did. Come on. Let's go find the others."

I looked to see everyone in the lobby. Even Carol was there, hugging on her brother Gregory. I walked up to the both of them. "How are you two? Did the doctor give you any good words?"

"They said I'll be fine," Carol said, "I was stitched up perfectly, so there's nothing to worry about. Cole stitched me up pretty good."

I looked at Gregory. "How about you?"

"I'll be alright," Gregory said, "The doctor had to figure out sooner or later that I'm immune. He saw a bunch of bite marks on my arm. He gave me some medicine that helped with it. He said that everything will be okay."

"I'm glad to hear that from the both of you. Hopefully, we'll only be sent here to help."

"Alright, everyone," Nick said, "Allow me to take you to your new home."

Nick led us out of the hospital and started to show us the community that was set up. There was just a mixture of people all over the place. I was surprised to see the amount of people that I did. It felt like we were already home. People went around and did normal everyday things. Once Nick showed us around town, he took us to this nice little home. It was only a four bedroom house, but at least we had somewhere to live. It looked as though whoever lived here cleaned everything out, except for the furniture.

I smiled. "I actually like it here. It feels like home."

"I was hoping it would," Nick said, "Don't worry about any bedbugs. We cleaned this house from top to bottom once every two weeks. Wouldn't want anyone living in an unhealthy environment. Well, I'll come back later to check on you guys. I need to head back over to the hospital. Enjoy your new home."

"I expect you to cone back and check on us by seven tonight," Sensei Wu said.

"Daddy, will you just behave yourself?" Monica said, looking to Nick, "I'm really sorry about my father. I don't know why he's acting this way."

"I think I know why," Nick said, "He's being an overprotective father."

"I don't see why he has to be. You've talked to him over the phone a few times. Isn't that enough?"

"I'll talk to you about it later." Nick kissed Monica on the forehead and left out, waving goodbye to the rest of us.

We all settled into our new home. Zane and Pixal cooked us a celebratory dinner in honor of us finding a new home. That night, I slept in a room with the other girls. I really needed some sleep after everything that's happened. I'm just glad to be sleeping in a comfortable bed.

* * *

 **A NEW HOME. A COMFORTABLE BED. GOOD FOOD. LIFE CAN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. PLUS, WHEN YOU'RE ENGAGED, IT ACTUALLY BECOMES MORE AMAZING THAN ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	61. Meeting the Elder

CHAPTER 60

MEETING THE ELDER

 **NYA`S POV:**

The next morning, I woke up to a list on the table and my assigned job. I was to be a volunteer at the hospital. Of all the places to volunteer at, why did it have to be there? No matter. I can handle it. All I could do now was get up and start the day like I normally would. I searched through my bags to find my clothes, but I could only find the few items that I brought with me. I had completely forgot that I put my clothes in the dresser. Taking out one of my kimonos, I put my shoes on and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My clothes were all wrinkly due to the fact that there was no ironing board and no electricity to fix the mess. Plus, my shoes were dirty, but it's nothing a little hand washing won't fix. That I can do. Other than that, I seemed to be ready for this day to start and end.

I left out of the room and grabbed a quick breakfast. I wasn't really in the mood to eat, but if I got hungry, the least I could do was eat a little something before heading out. I went into the boys room to see Jay still sleeping. I walked over to him quietly and saw the job he was assigned. Mechanical workshop. I don't see how that's a bad job. All I did was give him a quick peck on the cheek and left out of the house. I looked around. The rising of the morning was a lot more beautiful than what I saw yesterday. I mean, it was sunny and bright when we first got here, but something felt different today. Something I wasn't really expecting. People just acting normal, saying hello to you, caring whether or not you're a friend or foe. It was kind of nice.

I spent the entire day at the hospital, mostly to help take care of the sick children that seemed to be all over the place. I was helping to take care of the one that was not only sick, but injured as well. His mother laid right next to him, not leaving her son for a moment, not even thinking about taking a break. She wouldn't leave him alone with anyone. Whoever hurt her son hurt her as well on the inside. It pained me to see a mother in such was when her child is suffering dearly. I thought maybe it would be nice for her to have someone to talk to. After all, I wasn't busy doing anything.

I walked up to her. "Hello, ma'am. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, "No need to worry about me. I'm just trying to stay here with my son. I don't really trust anyone else at this point."

"What happened to him?"

"My husband told me about this community and he said there was no way he could make it with the both of us. The car that we were in was only a two seated vehicle. He told us to go on ahead and he would meet up with us in a few days. We had had just got here yesterday. My husband had to stop somewhere in Jamanicai Village and is suppose to be back soon."

"Do you have any way to contact him?"

She nodded. "I do. I have this communicator here." She pulled out a device from her back pocket. "I have to keep it off during the night in order not to run the battery down. I was talking to him last night and he said that he would be back in a couple of days. I told him what happened. He's scared and worried at the same time."

"I can understand. What happen to your son?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. It was my fault that it happened to him in the first place."

"That's fine. I understand if you don't want to talk about it. I wish I could talk more, but I need to get back to work. I hope your son gets better."

"Thank you."

I left out of the room, a tear almost leaving my eye. It was sad to see that all the parents that were worried about their children are afraid to leave their sight. I can understand why. A few of these children needed oxygen tanks in older to breath after a huge hacking experience. Some of them even cry in pain when something hurts. I can't imagine how much pain they were suffering. I can't believe some sickness is making them go through such pain. What could it be?

After a long day, four rolled around. I walked out of the hospital and started heading back home. When I was walking down a street filled with beautiful home, I saw an old woman who looked to be in her late nineties sitting out on the front porch, humming to herself while rocking back and forth in her wooden rocking chair. She looked over at me and smiled. I just had to urge to only smile and wave back, but my feet were telling me otherwise. They led me up the stairs and placed me in front of the old woman.

"I suppose you thought I was lonely so you decided to come visit this poor old woman," she said.

"Well, that and I was curious to know who you are," I said, "I've never seen you around before. Do you live here?"

"I do, darling. This here is my home. My actual home. When I first lived here, I knew that things were going to happen in the future. I'm not a psychic or anything, but I am with the Great Sensei. I kept him in my heart so much, even to this very day, he stays with me and helps me get through the path we call life. I'm just glad to be here in this world to help others. Tell me. Is your name Nya Smith?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"The Great Sensei knows you well. You help the ninja, right?"

"I do. I'm actually engaged to one of them."

"I think I know who it is. You're engaged to Jay, right?"

"Yes. That's him. Jay Walker. Although, we can't get married right now."

"What's keeping you from being together? Your brother has already blessed your marriage."

"Everything that's going on now. That's what's separating us from having a beautiful wedding."

"Darling, with or without a marriage license, you can still get married in this world. If you want your marriage to be legal, I think the best thing you can do is head out to the capital building in Mesco City in order to get that license. If you wanna go ahead and set up a wedding right now, then do it. Nobody's stopping you."

"I know. I just don't think that now is the right time. Maybe it's best to wait."

"Sometimes love can become impatient. There's no such thing as waiting for love."

"That's what my mother always said before she passed. I still hear her words roaming in my brain."

"Hearing life lessons is a wonderful thing. When I was a little girl, my mother told me so many of them, I had to write them all down in order to remember all that she told me. My mother has always been there for me. She was a hundred and four years old when she passed away. Her last words were for me to remember the lessons she taught me in life. At that moment, she breathed her last breath of life. Right then and there. You see, it's important for a little girl to listen to her mother's words. That way, she can get through the obstacle course of life. So when you have a daughter, always remember to give her those lessons."

You're a very kind woman. You have such a way with words of such wisdom."

"A lot of people say that. You're not the first one."

"I figured I wouldn't be. Are you one of the elders here?"

"How did you know?"

"It was just an educated guess. I was only wondering. You seem to be an elder."

"The truth be told, I am an elder. If you're wondering how old I am, I am a hundred and two."

"A hundred and two?"

"Indeed I am."

"Wow. You must have seen everything with your own two eyes. Every bit of history in the timelines."

"I sure was. I was even a part of the Serpentine Wars. Even back then when they were our enemies, I was still able to become friends with the enemy. Sometimes you just have to make the enemy your best friend. I know all the elders that were part of the war."

"Did you know Garmadon and his brother Wu?"

"And Misako? I knew them all. I saw that the future would be bright for Garmadon when the evil was removed from him. He would finally be with his family again. You should be very proud to be with people that care so much about you. You are a wonderful woman, Nya."

"Thank you. Oh, how rude of me."

"What do you mean, darling?"

"I forgot to ask you your name."

"Oh, darling, of course you know my name. Everyone knows who I am. It's written in all the history books. To this day, I am the oldest woman in Ninjago."

"It doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, I suppose I can tell you. My name is Bira. It's not my real name, but that's what people prefer to call me. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't."

"Would you like to come inside for some tea, dear?"

"No, thank you. Maybe another time. I really should be heading home. It was wonderful to meet you, Bira."

"Same to you, dear. Now run along."

I did as she said. Running along was all I could do. It was getting late and I should be heading home before the others start to get worried. I wouldn't want that to happen.

* * *

 **AN OLD ELDER. WOW. I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE AS OLD AS SHE IS. HOPEFULLY, SHE'LL HELP BRING IN THE COMMUNITY. WHO KNOWS? MAYBE JAY AND MAY WILL CONSIDER A PRE WEDDING BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY SIGN THE PAPERS TO GET MARRIED.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	62. Girl Support Group

CHAPTER 61

GIRL SUPPORT GROUP

 **NYA`S POV:**

Meeting Bria was kind of nice. I couldn't wait to head back to the house and tell the elders who I saw. He said that they know her, so I'm sure that when I mention her name, it will sound familiar with them. When I got up into the walkway that led to the front door, I could hear Misako and Garmadon talking to each other. I opened the door, thankful that it was unlocked. I suppose they were expecting me home. I walked inside to smell the scent of roasted chicken in the air. I went inside the kitchen to see both Garmadon and Misako cooking up dinner. Throughout the entire time I knew them, I've never seen those two cook a meal together before. I'm sure they did before Loud ever came along, but none of the rest of us did until I walked in on them.

Misako looked to me, smiling with happiness in her eyes. "Nya, I'm glad you were able to come back home safe and sound. Say, do you mind cutting up the vegetables? We need an extra set of hands to help us out."

"Uh, sure," I said, "I'd be happy to help." I walked over to see a bunch of vegetables inside a bowl. I started cutting them up one by one.

"Oh, it's okay if they get mixed up, so don't worry about getting it all wrong."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Garmadon placed something over the stove and sighed. "I just hope that Gregory`s illness doesn't affect Carol too much."

"I'm sure Carol can handle it," Misako said, "After all, she needs to learn how to calm down. She can't overreacted about everything, if you know what I mean."

"I know. It's just that Carol may have some emotional problems."

"A lot of girls have emotional problems."

"No, I'm talking about it as a mental problem. A disorder of some kind. One that can easily be treated with the mind only if the person will allow it to happen."

"I don't believe in that kind of nonsense."

"What's wrong with Gregory?" I asked.

"Well, it seems as though he's ill," Garmadon said.

"Does he have anything?"

"Well, he's been ill for the past couple of days," Misako said, "It seems as though he is immune, but he did suffer through a lot of bite marks, so they're painful to deal with. The doctors are keeping him in the hospital for further examination. Carol`s not taking it so well."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Upstairs in the bedroom with the other girls. She's been upset for the past two hours. I haven't heard her cry in a while, so they may have calmed her down. Honestly, it's like she can't even take her brother being sick. It's like she's having a nervous breakdown."

I sighed, putting the knife down. "I'll go see if I can't calm her down."

"Nya, I think it's time you didn't go up there. She needs to handle it on her own. She's eighteen years old."

"Misako, some girls have problems that they can't deal with. The only way that Carol will calm down is if I go up there with her and see if I can't solve the problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pour some tea and take it upstairs. Besides, it doesn't seem like anyone else in this house is going to do anything. It's like the younger ladies are suppose to do everything around here while the older ladies just sit around and knit sweaters all the time. Oh, that's just great. You got me to rambling on with my thoughts now that you made me mad and I can't seem to control myself." I took a tray and placed the tea cups on it. "I'll be back at dinnertime. Sorry I couldn't help with it."

Misako sighed. "Honestly, Nya, sometimes you just help people too much. This world has done something to you."

"It hasn't done to me. It's done something to all of us. It seems as though you don't understand, so why am I even talking about it to you? I'm a kind hearted woman. I can do my own things."

I walked out of the kitchen, not hearing another word from Misako or Garmadon. Usually, Garmadon would start up a conversation if his wife was mad, but this time, it didn't work. I continued my way upstairs inside the ladies room. I saw all the girls sitting around Carol`s bed, trying to soothe her with their comforting words. It seems to be working because she wasn't crying, but she was still so worked up.

"There's nothing to worry about, Carol," Monica said, "Gregory will be just fine. He's just sick is all. Nothing's going to happen to him."

"You don't understand," Carol said, "The doctor said that he's never saw a case like Gregory`s. He's never seen someone immune before. He said that his immune system is taking everything over."

"Doctors say that all the time," Kitty said, "That doesn't make a difference. I was once sick and I had a fever so high that the doctor couldn't tell what was wrong with me. He said the exact sane words that your brother's doctor said. It's something they've never seen before. Then a couple of days later, they told me that I had pneumonia. I'm not sure why the doctor says he's never seen it before until it examines the patient."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Well, there's no reason to be so upset just because your brother is sick. He's gonna be just fine."

"I don't think I can believe that."

"Oh, well, I tried. Like my mind always says, keep trying until you can't try anymore."

I decided that now would be a good time to walk in on them. "Hello, girls."

"Hey, Nya," Carol said.

"Hello there, Nya," Pixal said.

"Misako said You were all up here, so I thought it would be kind enough of me to come up and bring you some tea," I said, setting the tray down. "Take a cup. There's plenty for everyone."

"It makes me feel as though we are having tea time," Zelda said.

"Well, except for the fact that were trying to calm down an emotional girl that seems to have a lot of problems," Kitty said.

"I do not have problems," Carol said.

"Oh, Kitty," Monica said, "I've known you for longer than anyone else here and I must say that you have not changed one bit."

"What can I say? They don't call me Kitty for nothing."

"Okay, now that I'm settled in, can somebody tell me what's going on," I said, "Misako said that you were upset, Carol. Is everything alright?"

"Not really," Carol said, "I'm just very emotionally unstable right now. Also, I'm having a hard time coping with the fact that my brother is sick and all."

"I'm pretty sure it's nothing serious."

"You say that now, but when the doctor finally figures it out, you'll be sorry that you weren't as worried as me. You'll see."

"Well, we just need to make sure that you don't break down again," Kitty said.

"What do you mean?" Carol asked.

"You need to keep your emotions under control," Monica said, "I'm sure that's not very difficult to handle. All you need to do is keep it under control."

"Believe me, I've tried. It doesn't work."

"That's because you don't think it works."

"No, it doesn't work. I've tried it once. I'll tell you this. I tried to keep myself calm one time after I heard about my father getting attacked by Serpentine. I kept trying to keep my emotions under control and not go into a serious state of emotional conflict. I spent about six hours doing that. It just didn't work. I started crying automatically. So I've tried it before, and it doesn't work. That's it. End of discussion. Period."

"Come on, Carol, we just want to help," I said.

"You can't help me," Carol said, "It's not like some magical therapist is gonna appear and make things all better."

"You know, I'm actually a trained therapist," Monica said.

"What?" Kitty said.

"Oh, yes, it's true," Zelda said, "When I first met Monica, she was able to help me after I went into a state of fear and I couldn't get out of it. Now I no longer fear the wanderers outside. I'm sure Monica can help."

"Sorry, but I need a licensed therapist," Carol said, "Not one that's trained."

"Sorry, but if you want some help now, I'm the best that you have," Monica said.

"Sorry. Not gonna happen."

"Oh, well, you tried," Kitty said, "Wait a second. Why haven't you told me that you're a trained therapist?"

"You never asked."

On and on they went. I'm glad to see that those two can get along being sister in laws. I just wonder exactly how I can deal one of my own once Kai got married. No matter. That won't happen for a while. Until then, I have my own wedding to worry about.

* * *

 **A LICENSED THERAPIST? REALLY? MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND SOMEONE RHAT CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU. IN THE WORLD THAT THEY LIVE IN NOW, I DON'T THINK CAROL HAS MUCH OF A CHOICE.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	63. Making a Decision

CHAPTER 62

MAKING A DECISION

 **NYA`S POV:**

A few days had passed by. Some moments were sad while others were wonderful and happy. Today the entire community was celebrating with a huge picnic, trying to make the days as normal as possible. No worries, no working, no responsibilities. I was glad to have the day off, but I just couldn't get one thing off my mind. The Lunner family. I just wonder how their doing. My worries for them was stronger than anything else. I just couldn't think about anything else. I kept sighing throughout the entire day. Jay had asked me if anything was wrong, but all I said was that I was just sighing peacefully a lot more than usual. He just shrugged it off, but not before he had a worried expression on his face. If only he had both his eyes to see out of. I'd be able to tell his expressions a lot more.

The picnic was nice. I ate a lot, talked a lot and even met new people. It was a lot of fun. I'll just say that. My worries became more and more intense. I just couldn't stop thinking about Emma and Nathan. I couldn't stop thinking about their parents, either. They were the only people that revolved around my mind. It's part of my duty to help keep the citizens of Ninjago safe. It's also my duty to make sure that they're in an in closed space where they aren't surrounded by wanderers. If only I could do something to make sure they were safe and still here. I'm sure there is something, but if there is, I'm not sure what to do. All I can do is just sit and wait for the answer to hit me in the face.

"Nya, dear," a voice called out, "I was hoping to find you somewhere around these parks."

I turned around to see that it was Bria, one of the elders. I smiled and walked up to her. "Bria, what a surprise. I didn't think I would be bumping into you. I didn't think you were the type of person to come to one of these gatherings."

"Well, darling, I don't usually attend picnics, but seeing all these people with smiles on their faces and having nothing to worry about, I suppose these kind of picnics aren't too bad to come around. Look around you. Children are laughing and playing. Adults are making new friends. Everyone else just come here to worry less and have fun a lot more. It feels like the good old days."

"Nya, where are you?" I heard Jay call out to me.

I waved over to Jay. "I'm over here."

"Who is that, dear?" Bria asked.

"Oh, that's Jay," I said, "He's my fiancee."

"Hey, Nya," Jay said, "I hope you don't mind, but I went to get us some lemonade. Carol made it. She's trying to keep herself busy. Who's your new friend?"

"Oh, Jay, this here is Bria. She's one of the elders."

"Oh, good to meet you. Should I introduced myself?"

"No need, dear," Bria said, "I already know everything about you. You can thank the Great Sensei for that."

"Well, that's good to know," Jay said.

"Darling, what happened to your eye? Did you cut it on something?"

"You could say that I was protecting Nya. She was down, so I had to block her from getting hit. I've had this eye patch on me for almost four weeks."

"Four weeks? Can you still see things clearly?"

"Of course. I've gotten used to seeing things with just one eye."

"Can you drive well with one eye?"

"I can. I did it before."

"Can you walk in a straight line?"

"I've been doing it for the past few hours."

"My goodness. Never in the one hundred and two years of my life have I ever seen a boy as young as you get used to something in such a quick amount of time. Usually, it would take months for somebody your age to get used to something such as seeing out of one eye."

"Wait a second. Back up for just a moment. Did you say a hundred and two years of your life?"

"That's right, darling. I'm at that exact age."

"Jay, I can see that you're kind of stunned by what she's saying," I said.

"I sure am," Jay said.

"Oh, Jay, do you mind going to check on my brother. I haven't seen him this morning and I'm starting to worry about him."

"Oh, sure, Nya. I'll be right back. It was nice meeting you, Bria. I hope to see you again."

"I hope for the same thing, darling," Bria said, "You take care now."

"I will." Jay walked off, but not before giving me a smile before disappearing into the crowd.

Bria nodded. "That is a fine looking boy you chose."

"Thank you," I said, sighing.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"Nothing. I'm just enjoying the wonderful day that were having. It is such a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Nya, I know a girl in distress when I see one. If there's something going on, it's important that I know about it. If I'm not there, it's important if someone else knows about it as well. Now tell me what's wrong, child."

"I'm worried about a certain family."

"Let me guess. You're worried about the family that kept you safe when all of this happened."

"How did you know?"

"Like I said before, sweetheart. The Great Sensei is always there for everyone. Not just me, but for you as well. I understand that you're worried about that whole family, especially those two little children. I will say this, though. Their parents may not make it through all this. I have a feeling that something will happen. After all, those wanderers are out there right now as we speak just trying to see what life is like for them. I think the best thing you can do is go out and find them."

"On such short notice?"

"Those two little ones need you, especially that little girl. She's afraid of those things and needs somebody to help her. Her brother won't be able to comfort her for that long. I know that we'll enough. Don't you worry, darling. I'm sure that you'll have a plan for something. Anything at all."

"What should I do? I can't just drop everything and leave. It could take me days to reach them. Their home is in Ninjago City. They only live a block away from my home. Also known as the ninja headquarters."

"It looks as though you have an adventure that's leading towards you. I'm not saying you have to leave now. Those things are out there. It is important that you leave soon. The sooner, the better."

"I can't go by myself. It's too dangerous. The last time I did, I almost got hurt."

"You don't have to go alone, dear. You should take someone with you."

"Who?"

"Anyone you want, dear. I wish I could speak more to you, dear, but duty calls."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means that the Great Sensei is sending me a message. I better go before I miss it."

"How do you get messages from him?"

"In time, you will know. I'll see you soon, Nya. Cone visit me tomorrow for tea."

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow."

Bria left and disappeared through the crowd. Luckily, I spotted Jay heading back to me. "Hey, Nya. I found your brother. He told me to tell you that everything was fine and there's nothing to worry about. It looks as though you have a worried expression on your face. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. There is something I have to tell you, though."

"When you put it that way, it's never good."

"Well, it seems as though a couple of us will need to leave the community soon."

"What do you mean?"

"Jay, I've made up my mind. We need to go find those kids."

"Emma and Nathan?"

"Yes. Those two."

"Well, I don't see why you couldn't. It's dangerous, though. Not only will you need someone to accompany you, but your brother would never approve of this."

"Who cares what Kai thinks?"

"I kind of do if I don't want my head to be chopped off."

"Don't start becoming as bad as him."

"I'm not."

"Don't deny it, Jay."

I stood there, looking at Jay with both eyes. Pretty soon, we were looking at each other so much that we smiled and had the urge to lock our lips together. So we did. Best kiss I've ever gotten so far.

* * *

 **OKAY, THIS DECIDED TO MAKE ME LOG IN AGAIN WHEN I WAS TRYING TO SAVE IT. THAT JUST MADE ME MAD. ANYWAY, MAY WANTS TO GO FIND THE LUNNER FAMILY AND HELP BRING THEM SOMEWHERE SAFE. I HOPE THEY'RE ALL OKAY.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON MY POLL.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	64. Tea With The Elder

CHAPTER 63

TEA WITH THE ELDER

 **NYA`S POV:**

I woke up the next morning feeling a bit sick, but I'm sure it was probably nothing. To be sure, I used the thermometer in my first aid kit and used it to take my own. I looked to see that it was ninety-nine point six. It didn't seem that high, but I'm sure I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about. I had to get ready for the day, anyway. I promised to see Bria at her home for tea today. Don't wanna miss out on that. I searched through my closet to find my nice kimono dress and matching shoes. Well, they weren't my matching shoes from home, but they were red. I shrugged it off and went over to the mirror, looking at myself in the mirror. I saw that my cheeks were a bit pale and my nose looked kind of pink. Nothing a little make-up will fix.

I started making myself look nice. Once I finished adding a layer of press powder to my face, I took the rose that Jay gave me from out of my bag and placed it in my hair, looking at my whole body on the mirror that hung from the closet. I looked a bit like a clown due to the amount of makeup that I applied to my face, but other than that, I look ready to head out for tea. I walked out of the room and looked to see if anyone was in the hallway. Jay came out of the room, wearing his ninja uniform and trying to fix his eye patch. He turned his head to look over at me. A whistle came from his mouth.

"Well, Nya, look at you," Jay said, walking up to me, "I don't think I've ever seen you wear make-up before, but you look wonderful."

"Do I look okay with it on?" I asked, "Be honest with me. Do I look like a clown? I just have this strange feeling that I do."

"No way. You look beautiful. I actually like it. Although, I will be honest, you did put a little bit too much on. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings."

"No, not at all. You were being honest. I just had that feeling that Bria will accept how I look at her home. In case you're wondering, she invited me over for tea today."

"Oh, that's fine. Hey, I'll let Kai know where you're heading off to so he won't be worried."

He doesn't have to, but I'm sure Kai will be asking, anyway. "Ok, that sounds fine." I started coughing, my throat becoming a bit dry.

"You okay, Nya?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you don't normally cough unless you're around dust particles, and even with one eye, I don't see any dust around here. You're not getting a fever, are you?"

"No, not at all."

"Are you sure?" Jay reached out to feel my forehead. I used my hand to move his arm away.

"No, don't touch my forehead. I don't want the makeup to smear."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot. You're trying to look nice as you go to tea."

"Exactly. Well, I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but I really need to get going. I don't want to be late."

"Ok. See you around. What time will you be back?"

"Oh, I should be back at around eleven. Don't worry about me. Bye, sweetheart."

"Bye, sugar plum. Whoa, looks like I'm starting to sound like my dad."

I giggled and started my way down the stairs, being careful not to trip over my own two feet. I walked out the door and made my way down the street, seeing people walking past me with brief cases and bags. Some were even riding bicycles. I was walking down the street wearing too much make-up, a nice kimono, and my purse. I'm not sure why I was carrying my purse, but I suppose it was normal considering that everyone else was acting that way.

I continued down the sidewalk until I came face to face with Bria`s home. The outside of it looked a bit different than before. It looked as though she put out some new plants to make the front yard look nice. Well, I suppose a little color would be acceptable. I saw Bria sitting in her rocking chair on the front porch. She smiled when I came into her vision.

"Nya, I'm so glad you could make it," Bria said, "Why don't you come and have a seat, dear? I wish I could let you inside, but I can't let anyone in. My home is off limits to strangers."

"I thought we were good friends," I said, growing bewildered.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that, sweetheart," Bria said, "I was always told to never let anyone in with getting to know them first. For now, I think it's best to have some tea out here. Does that sound nice?"

"It does. I could use a little fresh air."

"Is everything alright, dear? Are you not feeling well today?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I woke up having this twisted feeling in my joints. I haven't been moving my arms very well all day."

"The Great Sensei can detect a liar, but it seems that you have nothing to hide. Well, not for the time being. I suppose it's alright, though. So, dear, I think it's best if we start having a bit of a talk together. "Before Bria could continue, a young boy that looked no older than ten walked out of the house, carrying a tray of tea. Bria smiled at him. "Set it down right here, darling. Thank you so much. You're such a gentleman."

"You're welcome, Bria," the boy said, having an familiar voice that I recognize pretty quickly.

"Brad, is that you?" I asked.

"Miss Nya?" Brad said.

"Nya, dear, do you recognize him?" Bria asked.

"I do," I said, "Before all this happened, he used to go to Sensei Wu`s Academy. Isn't that right, Brad?"

"It is," Brad said, Turing his attention back to Bria, "I'm going to set the table now, Bria."

"Go ahead, dear," Bria said, "We'll come inside in a little while."

Brad went back inside. I kept my attention on Bria. "How did he end up here?"

"Are you talking about Brad, darling?" Bria asked.

I nodded. "Yes."

"You won't believe what that little boy's been through. Just like you and the ninja about a week ago, he's one of the newcomers as well, but is his story ever so sad. He was only at home by himself for just a couple of hours while his parents went out to get groceries. When they didn't come back, he started to worry. When those things went down, he left his home. He told me that his parents were lying right next to their car, blue from head to toe and motionless on the ground. He even saw a few blood streaks on his mother. It was horrible. There was only one thing he could do. He had to run. He ran into some people and they kept him confined for three whole days. Once those things went back down, he was able to escape without those men knowing and he ran off as fast as lightning. Boy, he ran all the way to the gate, begging for the men to open it. They wouldn't at first until I came along. I told them that it was safe for the boy to come in. They listened and let him enter. I took him right over to the hospital and had the nurses check him out. Even the doctor came in. Of course he would. He is a doctor. The boy had to stay overnight and wait for Nick to come along and check him out. Once Brad was in the clear, the doctor let him go. I told them that Brad was to stay with me until the whole thing blew over. Just until that little boy was able to get his parents back. I'm hoping that will come along soon."

"Well, I'm sorry that Brad went through such a hard time. I wish there was something the ninja and I could've done to help him."

"Well, as they say in Ninjago, the past is the past and the future is the future. Even the Great Sensei goes with that quote."

"It feels more like a quote to me."

"I'm sure it does. Don't you worry, dear. Soon things will be different. All this stuff is gonna blow over. The Great Sensei always has an idea. He'll figure something out. He has before in the past. He'll do it again. Let's not waste our time talking about other things, Nya. I would rather get to know you a lot more. So, tell me, darling. Where did you grow up at?"

"I grew up in Ignacia Village. It's more know as a farming village than anything else."

"I have a feeling that all the people you have in your life now are your friends, your brother, and your soon-to-be husband. You no longer have parents. You once did, but you're mother passed away a few years after you were born and your father took care of you until his time came to an end. Now all the family you have is Kai."

"Why are we even talking about my life when you know so much about me?

"I wanna hear it from your perspective. I wanna know who you are and how you tell me in your own way."

"I hope you're not being a stranger to me."

"Tell you what. You seem to be a very sweet girl. A lively girl, to be exact. I would kindly enjoy you coming right on inside my home."

"Should I carry the tray of tea in?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll have Brad carry it in."

We went inside the house and little did I know that what I saw was more like a museum that just a regular home. I can see why she didn't want me to come inside in the first place. This home was more like a museum than a place you could actually call a nice house to live in.

* * *

 **WOW. I WONDER WHAT IS INSIDE OF BRIA`S HOME.**

 **I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	65. A Museum of a Home

CHAPTER 64

A MUSEUM OF A HOME

 **NYA`S POV:**

When I walked inside Bria`s home, I didn't realize that it was more of a place to tour than it was to be an actual home for such a wonderful elder. I would've told her that if I didn't keep it straight in my heart. I took a look around. One reason was because everything that was in here just had to be looked at. Another reason is that Bria wanted me to take a look at whatever I wanted. It was all just so wonderful. Some would think that the little trinkets would be mistaken for toys. I thought of them as beautiful antiques. They looked more for decorations than they were to use in everyday life. I walked past so much until I stopped to look at one painting that hung from the wall.

It would look exactly like one of Carol`s paintings if she would ever paint one. It looked more like a portrait, but either way, it was a painting of a young girl who looked as though she was in her early teen years. Maybe mid teen years, I wasn't very sure, but this looked like a painting that was made a long time ago. There was only one way to find out about it. To ask the elder.

"Bria, who is this?" I asked, "This woman is very beautiful. It interest me so to know who she is. Is it a friend of yours? A family member?"

Bria giggled. "No, dear. That there is me."

"You?"

"Yes, dear. That's me. I was only fifteen years old when that portrait of me was made. Back when I was growing up, I lived in a house with a father who owned all the oil in Ninjago. We were the richest family in Mesco City. We had a personal artist that painted portraits of my four brothers and I for years. I loved this one, though. It was the first time I ever had such a beautiful smile and I felt like a woman. Back then, there were no cameras, so we had to relive memories by using paintings. That was okay with me. I didn't mind it. It was better that using those fancy cameras and telephones that this generation uses nowadays. Whatever happened to the good old days where it was easier to pick up a paintbrush and make a straight line on an oil canvas board? Now all of us have to use cameras. Those things didn't start coming out until I was thirty-four years old. Let me tell you this. It wasn't easy using it the first few times. You always had people marching out and doing something rather than staying at home with the family. When we went out, we didn't have to use cameras to relive memories. Back then, we talked to people about them with our mouths. That's why mouths were put on our faces. To communicate with each other. I suppose things will never be the same. The older I get, the more I see. I hate to just ramble on. I don't mean to do all the talking."

"That's alright. I have no problem with that." I started coughing, this time lasting longer than usual.

"Darling, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You aren't getting sick, are you?"

"Don't be silly, Bria. I'm sure all I need is a relaxing cup of tea."

"I think that sounds like a good idea. I hope you don't mind, but Brad and I made some cookies and cakes. Excuse me just a moment." Bria opened the kitchen door. "Brad, dear, can you bring the deserts in the living room? Just set them on the coffee table."

"Yes, Bria," Brad said, holding the plate of cookies and cakes on his hands.

"Thank you, darling. You are such a sweet little boy. Why don't you help yourself to a cookie I made you yesterday? They're in the cookie jar now."

"Thank you, Bria." Brad ran off into the kitchen.

"What a nice boy he is. It's hard to see that he came here under the circumstances that he did. Oh, well. I suppose people come to you in a certain way."

I sighed, looking at all the trinkets in the living room. "I wish for something, Bria."

"What is it, dear?" Bria asked.

"I just wish there was a fairy that could cone in here and make the wish come true."

"Don't hide it, dear. Tell me what it is. You know I always listen to you, no matter what."

"Alright. I'll tell you my wish. I wish that things would go back to normal and we didn't live in a world such as this. If only we can find a cure."

"If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to never lose hope. When you lose that, you lose everything."

"Who taught you that?"

"My mother did, of course. Who else?"

"I wouldn't have the slightest idea. Of course, I usually don't."

"Don't you worry, dear. I'm sure you'll figure it all out soon enough."

I kept my eyes wandering around the living room. I couldn't keep the question bottled up any longer. "Bria, where did you get all these magnificent antiques? I understand that you were a wealthy girl growing up, but where did you get all this from? We're they gifts that were passed down to you from generation to generation?"

Bria chuckled and placed her hand in mine. "There's so much that you need to know. I will say this, though. These gifts weren't given to me. I found them. Would you like to know where?"

"I would."

"Well, dear, when I was a little girl, there was this cave that was in the woods that surrounded my house. My mother always told me to never go in there because she always thought a bear had made a home out of it. Well, something else already made a home. All these beautiful collections that are right here in my living room. I keep them for decorations and memories from my childhood."

"You must have had so many memories."

"I did. I truly did."

"What was your greatest memories?"

"Oh, Nya, I've never had the greatest memory. I've had blessful memories. Some of the best memories. Do you see that wall clock right there?" She pointed to a clock that didn't look as though it worked anymore.

"Yes."

"That there was the one thing that taught me how to count and was also the first time I learned to tell time. It was new when I found it, but as the years go by, it doesn't work anymore. It's such a blessful memory, though. I don't have the heart to get rid of it."

"A clock that taught you numbers. I never would've seen the day."

"Well, that's not the only blessful memory I have. Do you see that book right there?" She pointed to a book that was placed on a shelf above an old radio.

"Yes."

"I found that book in the cave on my second trip there. My mother had asked me where I had found the Book and I told her it was a gift that puppeteer gave me when I went to see his show. The part about the puppeteer was true. He did cone to Mesco City that week. Anyway, I had given it to my mother and she read it to me. It was about a little girl who enjoyed finding lost treasure on the beach she lived at. It was her and her father who lived in a hut on the beach and she always went to the shore everyday to find a new treasure. Some time later, she found out who gave her all that treasure. It was a leviathon. A kind one, though. As long as you didn't chain him up, you were fine. He had a reason to give her all that treasure. He saw what a kind girl she was to her father and decided that it would be nice for her to have something in return. So he gave her all those gifts. It never ended for her. Although, it did end for me."

"Who placed all that stuff in there?"

"I knew who it was a few years after I turned eighteen, but in time, I will answer that question. Let me ask you this, Nya. Do you see that staff right there next to the fireplace?" I looked to see it.

"Yes, I do. Is it special to you?"

"It truly is. When I was thirteen, I found that staff in the cave. I brought it home. A few weeks later, I became sick with something so horrible that the doctors couldn't even figure out what I had. I knew that the end of my days were coming to an end, but as always, I didn't lose hope. My faith for the Great Sensei was strong. My heart was filled for his aid. I called for help, and he answered. One night as I was trying to go to sleep, I kept seeing this light reflecting off the staff. I figured my mother had left the candle on, so I just went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I felt myself filled with so much energy. I thought I could run a marathon. I didn't, though, but my legs wanted to. I saw the light reflect off the staff again. That time, I wasn't seeing things. It actually had light reflecting on it. That staff saved me. To this day, I never let it out of my sight. Ever."

"Wow. That's a wonderful story." I started coughing again. Only this time, I felt as though I was hacking. "Oh, my. Bria, I don't think I'm feeling too well right now."

"Oh, my. Hold on, dear. I'll have Brad go and get the doctor. Nothing to worry about. We'll handle this."

I sat on the couch, having the urge to fall asleep, but I was afraid to. I didn't want to close my eyes and then risk not being able to wake up again. I should've listen to Jay and stayed home. I should've paid more attention to the temperature that my forehead stated. Why don't I ever listen to myself for once?

* * *

 **UH, OH. NYA`S BECOMING SICK. I HOPE SHE'S NOT CATCHING WHAT ALL THE OTHER CHILDERN ARE GETTING. SHE MIGHT BE THE FIRST YOUNG ADULT TO GET IT. WHATEVER SHE HAS, I HOPE SHE GETS BETTER.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. I HAVE TO PRESENT MY PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT TOMORROW. WISH ME LUCK. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON MY POLLS.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	66. Taking a Sick Day

CHAPTER 65

TAKING A SICK DAY

 **NYA`S POV:**

An hour had passed and Jay had came inside Bria`s home to take me over to the hospital so they could figure out what was wrong with me. They had taken a variety of test, starting out with my temperature and taking my blood pressure. I kept my head lying down on a soft pillow and tried my best to get rid of the headache that consumed my head so much. Jay stayed by my side every moment. Even the part where the nurse had to come and take blood from me. The needle didn't even freak me this time. I couldn't even feel it due to the aches in my body. Those aches felt just like the shot. I just had to relax. That's all. Relax my body and everything will be fine. I just kept myself lying on the bed, seeing what the test results said when the doctor returned.

The door opened and the doctor entered along with a nurse. Jay held my hand tightly. "Will Nya be alright? She's not suffering from any kind of serious illness, is she?"

"Well, her temperature is a hundred and one point two. We checked it about a few minutes ago and it seems to remain the same. If it hasn't changed in about another hour, we'll diagnose her with a fever."

"But I'm coughing as well," I said, my voice a bit hoarse.

"Have you experienced any other symptoms?" the doctor asked.

"No, nothing else."

"Well, if you haven't, then all I can diagnose you with is a fever. That's all I can do."

I nodded. "I understand."

The doctor left the room, leaving Jay and I alone. Jay kept his hand wrapped around mine. "I don't get it. You have a fever, but no other symptoms. How is that possible?"

"It happened to my father once," I said, "Well, I was only a little girl when he got it, but he still had it."

"I know what you mean. I don't understand. All you did was go over to Bria`s house for tea. Were you not feeling good before you left?"

"Okay, I suppose I should be honest. I wasn't feeling good, but I didn't want to upset Bria. I wanted her to feel less lonely than she already does. Can you understand that?"

Jay sighed. "I can, Nya, but still. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I was planning to, but I guess the words didn't come out. I'm sorry, Jay. Next time I show symptoms of feeling sick, I'll make sure you know about it ahead of time."

"Thanks, darling. That's all I wanted to hear."

The doctor cane back an hour later with a clipboard in his hand. "Well, your temperature went down a bit. It's a hundred and one point zero. Looks as though you only had a fever. I can't diagnose you with anything else. Looks as though you can head on home. There's nothing much we can do for you here. Just get some rest and everything will be fine."

"Thank you, doctor," I said.

"Don't mention it. Now head on home and get some rest."

By the time we left the hospital, I was already feeling dizzy by the time we walked outside. Jay had to carry me in his arms on the way home, where he placed me in the girls room and started running me a bath. That actually helped. Taking a bath feels so much better. After that, I put on a nightgown and climbed into bed. Jay had brought in a tray that had two cups and a teapot. He started pouring tea in both cups and handed one of them to me. I took a sip from it and placed it on the bed table. I kept my head lying on the soft pillow."

I sighed. "I don't get it. I'm stuck in bed, but I'm not going through any symptoms. Although, this fever and headache that I have is making me feel a bit dizzy. Do we have any kind of medicine?"

"I don't think we have anything for fevers, but we may have something for headaches. I'll go get it."

I placed the ice pack that was given to me on my forehead, trying to calm both the headache and fever down. I yawned, feeling tired and sleepy, but I wasn't ready to go to sleep just yet. The throbbing aches in my body forced me to lie down on my side. Jay came back inside, a glass of water in his hand, using a spoon to mix up the medicine I was about to take.

"We only have the kind of headache medicine that dissolves in water," Jay said, "I wish I could find you something that actually works."

"That's alright," I said, "It's kind of hard to find anything around this place."

"I've began to noticed since all of this started. Can you believe that it's only been a month and two weeks?"

"I know. A lot has happened in that short amount of time."

"Too much, but I suppose it was gonna happen eventually, right?"

"You're right."

A knock came on the door. Jay turned his head. "Who is it?"

"It's, Kai," my brother said, " Can I come in?"

"Sure. Come on in."

Kai came in, a worried expression on his face. Jay moved away from the bed to give Kai room, hugging me with all the might he had in him. "I was worried about you. When I heard that you were sick and they had brought you home, I was thinking that something worse had happened. I'm just glad you're okay. What did the doctor say?"

"I just have a fever," I said, "That's all."

"I want you to take it easy for a while. Even if I have to hire someone to make you do that."

"It's okay, Kai. My fever`s slowly going down. It should be gone by tomorrow, but if you want me to rest, I will. I won't leave for anything tomorrow."

"Okay. I'm just making sure. If you need anything from me, I'm right here." Kai stood up and walked over to Jay. "Make sure she's taken care of."

"Where are you going?" Jay asked.

Kai sighed, turning around to face the entire room. "I have to leave in the morning. It's just for a couple of days. One of the communities a few miles away is losing heat and since I'm the fire ninja, I need to help supply them some. I have permission from Sensei Wu to do so. I won't be gone long."

"Promise?" I said, my voice quivering a little bit.

Kai nodded. "I promise. Don't worry, Nya."

"You always worry about me. Why can't I worry about you for a change?"

Kai chuckled. "I don't see why you can't. Well, I need to head back to the gates. Don't want one of the guards to be left behind. I'll see you when I get home."

"Love you, brother."

"Love you, too, sis." Kai walked out of the room, leaving Jay and I alone.

Jay pulled out the desk chair to sit down, but I had a better idea. "Come sit next to me. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm fine, Nya," Jay said.

"Oh, come on. We've slept in the same bed together before when you were hurt. Why can't you do the same when I'm sick? Is it because you're afraid the girls might see you?"

"Well, that's one reason."

"What's the other reason?"

"You need to get some rest. I don't want to have to make you feel worse than you already do."

"Jay, let me tell you something. When you're here, everything is wonderful. When you're not, I feel empty in my heart. If you would, please come over here and lay down next to me. It'll make me happy."

Jay sighed. "Well, if you insist. Alright. Make me some room." I scooted over while Jay sat next to me, putting one arm around my shoulders while I laid down on his neck. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't have been afraid to do this earlier. There's no reason to seem embarrassment by the girls. Hey, I will say that being next to you is more comfortable."

"It is, isn't it? I'm just so cozy to be with. You know, I love you."

"I love you, too, Nya. You know what else?"

"What?"

"I think I want us to get married. Real soon."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think we should have someone send us a marriage license to fill out and send it back to them so our marriage is official. Then you and I can go and find a wedding tux and a wedding dress and we can find everything else, get whatever we need and have a wonderful wedding. It'll be the wedding of the century in my book."

"You would do that for us?"

"I'm not doing it for the both of us. I'm actually doing it for you."

"Jay, how can I ever thank you?"

"There is one thing, but I plan to do that myself."

Jay kissed me fully on the lips. Hopefully, I won't give him my fever, but what does that matter? My love for Jay is stronger than my sickness. And it always will be.

* * *

 **WHEW! WHAT A RELIEF! NYA DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING SERIOUS. WELL, A FEVER DOES NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION, BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TOO SERIOUS.**

 **SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY. I WAS TIRED AND NEEDED A NIGHT OFF. I HOPE YOU ALL CAN UNDERSTAND.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	67. Back on Track

CHAPTER 66

BACK ON TRACK

 **NYA`S POV:**

My fever had finally went down and my temperature was back to normal the next day. It was also the moment when I finally realized that it was time to go out and find the Lunner family. It took some time to put it in my brother's head that I needed to go out there, and after an hour of reading a book to calm himself down, he finally decided to let me go. As long as I took someone with me. I rushed up to the boys room and told Jay to pack his bags. The both of us were leaving immediately. I had rushed into my room and started packing my own bag. Once I was finished, I saw Jay outside getting his truck ready. Everyone came outside and said their goodbyes to us, hoping we would come back. By the time a few days passed by, we would be able to bring the Lunner family back with us.

Jay started up the truck and we were on the road. Luckily, those things went back to sleep again last night so we were safe for some time. I sighed a breath of relief. Hopefully, we won't have to fight any of those things off. If we were surrounded by them, the best thing to do was keep driving until we found an empty lot, a place where not even a wanderer would show up at. I was hoping that we wouldn't be kidnapped or worse than that. Hopefully, Pythor won't catch us. I would hate the fact that we would have to stay under his control. It was kind of scary to think about.

Jay continued driving down the road. After about an hour, I started to get hungry, so we stopped by a store and picked up some stuff before head back out on the road again. I filled myself up on beef jerky by the time Jay had stopped to fill up on fuel. We were only half a tank and we needed all the gas we can get our hands on. While Jay was filling up, I made my eyes wander towards the window. I looked to see two adult foxes exit out of the forest. Behind them, three little foxes came out from hiding in the leaves of the bushes. I saw it as a beautiful sight. The fox family looked in our direction, but ignored us to see that we were no harm to anyone. They enter back into the woods, disappearing behind the vegetation of bushes. I had to smile. That little family of foxes reminded me of the Lunner family. It also made me think about what the future would be like for Jay and I. After we were married, we would have children of our own. Lots of children, to be exact. I'd love to have a total of six. Maybe even seven.

Jay climbed back inside the car. "Well, we're good to go. We've got a full tank and everything's going swell. You know, I think some time alone with just you and me is a good thing. Don't you think so?"

"It is, as long as you keep your promise to Kai about not trying any funny business," I said, "You don't wanna get into any trouble with him. You know what happened the last time you got into trouble with him and it involved me."

"I don't think I remember any of what he said to me."

"It was during one of our dates when I almost got kidnapped. You had to come back and rescue me like my knight in shining armor."

"Oh, yeah. I remember. It took half an hour to pry Kai off my neck after we got home. How did he even find out about it, anyway?"

"Somebody made a video of it and posted it online. The nerve of some people these days."

"Well, there's nobody around and there's nothing to post online about. There's not even a way to get your phone working out here. Unless you were using one of those phones where you don't need any signal to use."

"I'm pretty sure those work on regular battery."

"I'm sure about it, too. By the way, forgive me for asking this, but why are we doing this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it kind of seems like a risk just to go out and find this family, doesn't it?"

"Jay, I'm only doing this because they helped me in the beginning of all this. I'm only returning the favor by helping them get to safety. Ninjago City isn't safe anymore. I have this strange feeling that Pythor has something to do with all this and he has a good plan to take over Ninjago. The first thing he'll do, though, is take over the city first. That's why I need to get them out of there. I don't want anything bad happening to them. You know what Pythor`s capable of. We need to keep them protected."

"Why didn't you say any of that in the first place?"

"I didn't think you would understand."

"Nya, I would completely understand whatever you tell me. No matter what it is. Don't keep secrets from me."

"I'm not keeping a secret from you, Jay. I was only afraid to tell you. Face it, you're the only person that ever listens to me. The rest of the team just have it go into one ear and out the other."

"That doesn't mean they don't listen."

"It kind of does."

"Don't take it so hard, Nya. Just because you think that people don't listen to you doesn't mean that they don't. You just have to understand them more than they understand you."

"What are you even talking about?"

"I have no idea. I'm babbling like an idiot."

"You're my idiot, thought." I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling up close.

"I guess you do have a point."

"Besides, you agreed to come all the way out here for me because of two reasons. You love me and you don't want anything bad to happen to me. Who else would do that for the person he or she loves? If you were doing something like this, I'd do the same for you. You know I would."

"I know. You that kind of person who would."

"Yes, I am and don't you forget that. Let's go and find that family."

"As you say, milady."

We drove for the rest of the night. Jay had told me to get some sleep while he drove. When I woke up the next morning, I saw that we were in the sea of sands. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and leaned in to kiss Jay on the cheek. I took a long look at him. His eyes were tired and gray, but he still kept going. He's like a machine. He may be an inventor, but sometimes I think he invented himself. Well, not literally, but still.

"Jay, you look pretty tired," I said, "Would you like me to drive for a little while?"

"Well, I suppose that wouldn't be much of bad idea," Jay said, "We'll stop out here and switch seats."

Once we stopped and switched seats, I began driving while Jay began sleeping. I looked at the gas tank. Looks as though we only had three bars left. Well, Jay was driving all night, so I don't see why it wouldn't be low. Once I got to the entrance of Ninjago City, I climbed out of the car and filled it up with fuel. As I was doing so, I saw something walking in the distance. I took a closer look with the binoculars Jay had given me. I looked to see that it was a wandering Serpentine. I gasped, placing in the last of the fuel in and sticking the bottle of empty fuel in the trunk. I climbed back into the car and drove off, away from the sight of that thing.

I sighed a breath of relief. Driving through the town, I kept seeing bodies after bodies all over the place. There seem to be more than the last time I drove through here. I kept on going, continuing on until I finally made it towards the part of the city where the Lunners live. I decided to drive by towards our home to see if it was still the way it was before. When I saw it, nothing much has changed except for the fact that a bunch of wanderers are lying around our lawn, taking their long three day nap. I shook my head and drove off, leading myself towards the Lunner`s family home. When we got there, I was in for a pretty big shock.

The entire house from the outside was trashed. The boards that kept the windows in place and covered were broken off and destroyed. Some of the windows were either broken or cracked. The yard was a heap full of wanderers. The one thing I truly noticed was that the door was left opened. This scared me more than anything. I jumped out of the car and opened the passenger's seat door, shaking Jay to wake him up.

"Jay, get up," I said.

Jay opened his eyes, looking towards me. "What's the matter?"

"Well, the good new is that we've arrived at our destination. The bad news is that it's trashed."

"Trashed? How bad is it?"

"Take a look for yourself."

Jay turned his head, looking with wide eyes at what he saw. "We better make sure someone's still inside."

"You read my mind. Come on."

Jay and I put on our gloves and walked inside the house. I had a feeling that we were going to touch one of those things. I might as well be sanitary about it. We walked inside the house, seeing that it was completely destroyed. Pictures were thrown all over the place, vases were shattered on the floor, and red blood stains were all over the carpet and even the furniture. Jay decided to search the kitchen. I remained in the living room, doing my best to search every corner in the house. I heard soft crying coming from inside the closet. I walked over there, moving some wanderers away in the process. I opened the door to see two little children inside, cowering in fear.

I gasped. "Jay, you better come in here." The moment Emma saw me, she jumped into my arms as tears of fear rolled down her cheeks onto my shoulders. Nathan had remained in the closet, shaking as tears came from his eyes. What happen to theses two?

* * *

 **WELL, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH NYA AND JAY FOUND THE HOUSE, BUT ITS NOT LIKE HOW NYA LEFT IT. THE HOUSE IS PRETTY MUCH DAMAGED AND THE CHILDREN WERE LEFT AT HOME BY THEMSELVES. WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS?**

 **SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE THIS STORY YESTERDAY. I'VE JUST HAD THOSE FEELINGS WHERE THE WORLD DOESN'T WORK OUT THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO. WELL, I'M UPDATING TONIGHT, SO HERE YOU GO.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	68. Two Lost Lambs

CHAPTER 67

TWO LOST LAMBS

 **NYA`S POV:**

I held Emma in my arms for a moment. Poor little thing. I'm pretty sure she saw things that were not meant to be seen. I rocked her gently back and forth. It didn't stop her from crying, but it helped her realize that someone was here to rescue her. Someone was here to give her protection. I'm sure her brother has done it for some time, but it was time for these two to get out of here. I held my hand out for Nathan to grasp, but he continued shaking and tears fell down his cheeks, refusing to stop. I had to figure out some way to get him out of there. I had an idea. I started walking off with Emma in my arms. I stood next to the doorway, pretending that I was going to leave. Nathan's eyes were filled with anger as he jumped up and ran towards us.

I smiled, seeing that my idea worked like a charm. I heard footsteps come down the stairs. Emma started crying, scared of the noise. It was only Jay, who was shocked at the sight he saw with his own eye. "What in the world is going on down here?"

"Please make them go away," Emma said.

"Shh, it's okay, Emma," I said, "He's only a friend. Well, he's more than a friend to me, but I'm sure you get the idea."

Emma held her head up to look at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Is that your boyfriend, Nya? Is that Jay you were talking about?"

I nodded. "He is. Don't worry. We'll get you and your brother out of here. We've found a safe place for you to go. I have a feeling that we're only bringing back two young children."

"I wish our parents could come along. I don't know why they would turn themselves into those monsters."

"The monsters?"

"She's talking about the wanderers," Nathan said, "Somehow, they were able to get inside the house."

"Don't say it in front of me," Emma said.

"Emma, I need to know what happened," I said, "If I don't, I won't be able to help you."

"It's too scary to talk about."

"I know, but I'll do whatever I can to keep you calm. Where are your flowers?"

"They're over there." Emma pointed to where the flowers were. They were on the ground, the pot broken with the soil spread all over the floor. The flowers look as though they were slowly turning brown and hard, drying from the fact that they were taken away from life. Emma placed her head on my shoulder. "I dropped them while I was coming downstairs to hide in the closet. I was sad to see another life surrounding me go."

"I know, Emma. Don't worry. Let's just get what you need and get you out of here. I'm pretty sure that's all we can do. Nathan, do you know where Emma's emergency bags are?"

"They're in her closet," Nathan said, "I'll go up and get them."

"Whoa, there, little guy," Jay said, "If anybody's gonna go back up there, it's gonna be me. You do not need to experience what I just saw up there."

"There are wanderers up there, too?"

"Don't say that, Nathan," Emma said, "That scares me."

"Calm down, Emma," I said, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't worry," Jay said, "There's something up there, but it's napping. I'm still going up there, though." Jay ran back upstairs.

"I don't remember Jay having an eye patch," Emma said.

"I don't, either," Nathan said, "He's suppose to be my favorite ninja."

"Jay`s your favorite ninja?" I asked.

"Yeah. First of all, he can be hilarious. Also, he's a tough fighter and I hear that he was adopted. It kind of sounds like me."

"What? Did you just say that Jay was adopted?"

"I did. His parents aren't his real parents. He thinks they are, though. Although, it's just a rumor I hear, but I hope it's true."

"Why do you say that you were adopted?"

"Well, my parents thought that they were never able to have children of their own, so they jumped through hoop and hurdles just to bring me into the family since my real mother was never able to take care of me. I can understand why. My real father disappeared somewhere. I'm just lucky to have parents. Well, what's left of them."

"He's hoping that Jay`s adopted so the both of them can have something in common," Emma said, "Although, I'll never change my mind about Kai. He'll always be my all-time favorite ninja. The way he fights. The way his hair looks. You can't change my mind about him."

"I can see that," I said, "I think it's best if we discuss the issues back at the community. We're having too much fun."

Jay came back downstairs. "Okay, I got everything. Let's hit the road."

"Did you get my stuffed bunny Twinkle?" Emma asked.

"What does it look like?"

"He's white with pink polka dots. I can't sleep without him. Oh, and don't forget my teddy bear Willie. He's the same color as all other teddy bears, except he's wearing a blue shirt."

Jay sighed. "Alright, I'll go find them."

"Here, Jay," I said, "Let me go up there."

"No way," Jay said, "You won't be able to handle what's up there."

"Jay, I've seen thousands of those things all over the place. It can't hurt to see just one. I think I can handle it."

"Not what I saw."

"What did you see?"

"I can't tell you in front of the kids. It'll worry them again. Besides, you just calmed them down."

"I did, didn't I? Well, now it's your turn." I handed Emma to Jay. "Practice holding her and I can trust you with holding a baby."

"How is this suppose to be practice? She looks like she's five."

"Ha," Emma said, "You wish."

"She's four, Jay," I said, "Now stop stalling me so I can go up there. I'm sure it's not as bad as you say it is."

"Okay, if you wanna go up there, then I'm coming with you," Jay said, "You're not going alone."

"We can't leave the children down here."

"Well, one of us needs to stay. Is it gonna be just you or neither of us?"

"It's okay, guys," Nathan said, "Just go on up there. Emma and I will be fine. If something happens, I'll keep my sister calm."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure. Now go. I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Alright. Come on, Jay."

Jay and I walked up the stairs and went straight into the hallway. Okay, now I know why Jay didn't want me to come up here. There was more than one of those things. A dozen of them were lying on the floor, napping away the day as much as possible until they would be up another three days. I had no intentions of wanting to step on them, so we just went over what we saw. We made it into Emma's room, looking around to see her room a bit of a mess, but nothing bad that would need to be cleaned up. I walked over to her bed, smelling a rotted smell. I sensed it coming from the bed, so I removed the covers to find blood on the sheet. My stomach had the feeling that I should just go ahead and vomit right then and there. It was hot in the room. All I could see were blood spots. I found my vision again, though. The heat in my face was gone and my stomach felt better. I wasn't sure where all this blood came from and why it's on Emma's bed, but I'll find out. I'll get to the bottom of this.

I walked out of Emma's room, closing the door behind me. Jay was standing out in the hall. "Did you see what you couldn't handle?"

"Just some blood, but that was it," I said.

"On the bed."

"Yes, that's where it was."

"I told you. That's why I preferred you to stay downstairs."

"I get it, Jay. You don't have to keep saying it over and over again."

"Alright, I was just saying. Come on. Let's get back to the community."

We walked down the stairs where I saw Emma hugging onto her brother. Nathan looked up at us. "Are we ready to go? I can't stay here any longer."

I nodded. "I know. Come on, you two. Let's take you to your new home."

"Is it fenced up?" Emma asked.

"It is," I said, "Come on. You'll love it there. I promise."

I grabbed Emma and led her outside. Nathan stood next to Jay, keeping a hold on his hand until we got to Jay`s truck. We placed the children in the backseat as Jay and I sat up in the front. I turned around to see Emma falling fast asleep in her brother's lap. Nathan had a pillow behind his head and fell asleep himself. I turned back around and smiled. Children are just darlings when they sleep.

* * *

 **POOR LITTLE GUYS. I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED. I ESPECIALLY WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PARENTS AS WELL. I SUPPOSE WE'LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER, WHICH WON'T COME FOR A WHILE. YES, A WHILE.**

 **OKAY, HERE'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. I'M GOING TO STOP WRITING THIS STORY FOR A WHILE. THINK OF ME GOING ON HIATUS. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE MANY OTHER STORIES ROAMING THROUGH MY HEAD. I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE MY LION KING STORY ON THE WEEKENDS. IT WON'T BE THE LONGEST STORY, BUT I WILL COME BACK TO THIS ONE SOON. FOR NOW, I'M COMING TO A HALT.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	69. Horrifying Sights

CHAPTER 68

HORRIFYING SIGHTS

 **NYA`S POV:**

We spent the night making our way back to the community. The children slept throughout the entire ride, not waking up. They didn't even wake up to ask if there was a bathroom nearby. We stopped at a small parking lot in the community, placing the truck in park. We emptied out the car, also taking the children out of there. Nathan woke up, but Emma remained sleeping. I held her in my arms as I carried her over to the hospital, her emergency bag in hand. I led her inside a room, lying her down on the cushion bed. She opened her eyes when I placed her somewhere else. She sat up, rubbing her eye, wincing a bit. I walked over to her, placing my arm around her. I sat down next to her.

"Are you okay, Emma?" I asked.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You were wincing a bit. I just wanna make sure your okay."

"I am. I just haven't felt the best for the past few days. I'm just tired and hungry."

I nodded. "I know. Don't worry. Right after you see the doctor, you can get something to eat."

"We're here to see the doctor?"

"I'm afraid so. It seems that all newcomers that arrive in the community have to be checked out before they can be released to the public. Well, to the remaining citizens here is what I meant to say."

"I wasn't bit or anything."

"I understand, Emma, but they just want to make sure. Can you be a big girl for me?"

"I think I can."

"Good."

The same doctor that had helped me when I first came here walked inside. "Hello there. Looks like I have a new patient with me today. Hi there, sweetheart. What's your name?"

"I'm Emma," Emma said.

"Well, it's good to meet you, Emma. My goodness. It looks like you've been through a lot."

"I lost my mommy and daddy."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, sweetheart. Were you out there all by yourself?"

"No. My brother's still with me. He's seeing a different doctor right now."

"Oh, alright. Well, let's see how you're doing. Have you been near any wanderers?"

"I've been near a few, but none of them have bit me. My daddy made sure to keep them away."

"Where were you and your family when they came?"

"We were still in our home. We never left the city. My parents didn't want us to leave. They said it wasn't safe."

"Well, I can assure you that your safe here. Do you mind if I can check you out to make sure?"

Emma sighed. "I suppose you can."

"You're not hiding anything from me, are you, dear?"

"No, but there's something I need to show you." Emma raised up her shirt sleeve to show us a massive cut on her arm. Now I could see what happened. The blood stains on her bed explained it all. It was her blood. Nobody else. "Nathan and I hid in my bedroom. We couldn't sleep at all that night. When those monsters fell asleep, he was really upset to see that our parents didn't make it through it. He broke the mirror in my room. I begged him to stop, but he yelled at me and pushed me to the mirror. A sharp piece of it gave me a big cut. It hurt really bad. I was bleeding all over my bed. Nathan started crying and did whatever he could do to stop the bleeding. It stop, but it still hurts. It was a really big boo boo."

"Why didn't you tell Nya here?"

"I didn't want her to be so worried about me."

"Emma, when something like this happens, you need to let me know," I said, "Right now, I'm responsible for you and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Emma nodded. "I do."

"Good. Don't ever keep a secret like this from anyone. If this happens, you need to get help right away. This time, it was an exception. There was nobody there to help. Somebody is here now."

"I understand, Nya."

"Well, alright. I'll go get some bandages and get that cut patched up."

A few minutes later, Emma arm was wrapped up and would be alright in a matter of time. No stitches needed to be involved. That would just be too much. The doctor finished examining Emma and had finished. Emma smiled. "Can I go now?"

"Not yet, sweetie," the doctor said, "There's just one more thing we need to do before I can officially let you go."

"What is it?"

"Well, you're not gonna like it, but I need to vaccinate you."

"What does vaccinate mean?"

"It means that I have to give you a shot, dear."

"What?"

"I have to give it to you, sweetheart. This is just to make sure that you don't have the virus inside you. It'll only be a second. First I have to get it. I'll be right back." The doctor left, leaving me and Emma alone.

"I don't wanna get a shot, Nya," Emma said.

"I know, but you don't have a choice," I said, "It'll only take a second."

"Why do I have to get it? Did you have to get it?"

"I did, and I'll tell you a little secret. I'm not the bravest when it comes to getting shots, either."

"You're not?"

"Nope. To be honest, I get to be as scared as you are, but it's usually a lot worse."

"How worse does it get?"

The doctor came back in with a pink tub. "Alright, let's get this over with. It's only one shot for today. After that, you'll be on your way."

"It's gonna hurt, Nya," Emma said.

"It's okay, Emma," I said, "I'm right here beside you. Would you like me to tell you the story of when I got a shot once and it didn't turn out well?"

"Sure."

"Okay, well, I was a little girl once myself, just like you. My mom took me to one of my doctor appointments and before I could leave, I had to have a shot myself. I was only about seven and I always cried when I got one. That time was different. Once they placed the needle in my arm, I just passed out. I didn't wake up until after I got home and was lying in my bed. It was the worst thing that happened to me back then. Nowadays, I have my brother to help me with needles."

"What does he do?"

"He makes me talk to him about certain stuff. Random stuff, actually."

"I remember that," the doctor said, "Okay, Emma. Looks like we're all done here. You're free to go."

"No more shots?" Emma asked.

"No more, dear."

"Can we go now, Nya?"

I smiled. "Yes, we can go."

"Oh, Nya, before I forget, I need to talk to you about your blood test. Do you mind stepping out into the hall with me for just a minute?"

I nodded. "Sure. Will you be okay in here, Emma?"

"I'll be fine," Emma said.

"Okay, I'll only be a minute." Closing the door, the doctor and I stood out in the hallway. "Was there something wrong with my blood test?"

"Oh, no, nothing was wrong," the doctor said.

"What's so important about it, then?"

"Well, we saw something...unusual with it. I have a feeling that you may not become infected with the virus at all."

"What are you talking about? How can I not become infected?"

"I have a feeling that you might be immune."

"Immune?"

"Yes. That's just my feeling. Just to be sure, will you come in tomorrow for another blood test? It shouldn't take long at all."

I sighed. "I suppose."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be here."

I went back inside the room, grabbed Emma and went down to the lobby. I was lucky to see Jay down there with Nathan in his arms. We both walked out, making our way back home to the others.

* * *

 **YES, IT'S TRUE. I HAVE RETURNED TO THIS STORY FOR THE WEEK. I'LL HAVE PART TWO OF MY MISTRESS STORY READY FOR NEXT WEEK. DON'T WORRY. I HAVE IT ALL IN MIND.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	70. Spending Time With The Children

CHAPTER 69

SPENDING TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

 **NYA`S POV:**

Carrying Emma and her bag in my arms, we made our way back to the house. Jay was beside me the whole time with Nathan in his arms. Everyone greeted us home after being gone the last couple of days. Tonight the wanderers would wake up and start their terror for the next three days. The children snuggled up on the couch, sleeping peacefully as they have been doing. The both of them were pretty tired, but I noticed something. Nathan wasn't snoring. When I stayed with his family, he always had a sort of soft snore as he slept at night. Now I noticed that he wasn't doing so. I had the feeling that he was pretending to sleep in order not to tell me anything. I had a feeling that's what it was. I walked over to him, shaking him a bit to wake up.

Nathan opened his eyes, looking up at me. "Can I help you?"

"You're not sleeping, Nathan," I said, "You're trying to trick me. It's not working. I think it's time you and I had a talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Nya."

"Yes, there is. Emma showed the doctor and I the cut on her arm. I think it's time you told me what happened."

Nathan sighed, placing his hands over his eyes. I knew he was actually tired, but pretending to sleep did not count as getting a full night of rest. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I know you didn't mean to. What I wanna know is why you did it because you know good and well that it was the wrong thing to do. I understand it was an accident, but sometimes accidents can lead to somebody getting hurt."

"I know. It was a mistake. I was just angry."

"Angry about what?"

"About my parents having to become wanderers. It was a mistake to stay home, but they wouldn't leave. It was too dangerous. I locked Emma and I inside her room. We hid in her closet until the clock chimed and they finally went to sleep. When we came out, I started yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs. Emma kept telling me to calm down because I was scaring her, but I didn't listen to her. That's when I broke the mirror and she screamed at me for breaking it. I told her that I didn't care and pushed her against it. She started crying. There was blood everywhere. I ended up crying myself. I couldn't hold back the tears. It was all too much. That's why I wanted to get out of there so bad. So many horrible memories. So many things that I never want to see again."

"Now you understand that you shouldn't do stuff like that. It can hurt people. Especially the ones you love."

"I'm sorry. I never meant for any of it to happen."

"Did you apologize to Emma?"

"No. I was too busy crying to even try and speak."

"I think now is the best time to say it." I placed my hand on Emma's good arm, shaking her gently. "Emma. Emma, dear. Can you wake up for a second?"

Emma opened her eyes, rubbing them as she was more tired than anything else. "What is it?"

"Nathan needs to tell you something," I said.

"Is everything okay?"

Nathan sighed. "Emma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. It was the worst thing I ever did. Can you ever forgive me?"

"It's okay, Nathan," Emma said, "I can't stop loving you just because you made a mistake. Nobody's perfect. We all have a fault."

"Are you sure I have your forgiveness?"

"You do. I love you, Nathan."

"I love you, too, sis. You can go back to sleep if you want to."

"I would love to, but I'm hungry." Emma sat up, sneezing as she did.

"Are you okay, Emma?" I asked, placing my arm on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Emma said, "It was just a sneeze. Who's making dinner?"

I heard cabinet doors closing. "Seriously? Where did I put that can of tomato paste at?"

I giggled. "I think my boyfriend is cooking tonight. I better go and help him."

"Okay," Emma said.

"You two be good and don't start fighting with each other, okay?"

"We won't fight," Nathan said.

"Okay," I said, walking inside the kitchen. I looked to see Jay looking inside every cabinet. "Is everything okay, sweetie?"

Jay knocked his head on the bottom of the cabinet. "Ow!" He climbed down. "Not really. I can't remember where I put that one can of tomato paste at. I'm wanting to make some spaghetti for dinner, but I just can't find that one ingredient." He sighed. "I hate misplacing things."

"I know." I opened up one of the bottom cabinets and took out the tomato paste. "That's why I put it in here."

"Thank you." Jay removed the can out of my hand. "Now all I need to do is open it."

I sighed. "Jay, do you mind if I ask you something? It's kind of personal, though."

"I think you pretty much know every personal thing about me. Yes, you can tell me. What is it?"

"Well, I'll start it off with this. While you were upstairs in that house, Nathan told me that he was adopted by Emma's parents before she was born. He told me that his real mother was never able to take care of him. He said that rumors were going around stating that you were adopted. Is that true? Were you?"

Jay shook his head. "No, I was never adopted. I wonder who made up a silly rumor like that."

"It wasn't Nathan, that's for sure. He just heard about it."

"Nya, even if my parents told me that they weren't my real parents, would I trade them in for anything else in the world? No, I wouldn't. You know why? Genetics don't make up a family. As long as you have love, that's all you need."

"I'm sorry. I was just confused is all."

"It's fine. Nothing personal. Speaking of my parents, Borg said they've been found."

"Are they okay?"

"He said they were fine. They were found in some log cabin in the middle of the woods. They'll be brought here tomorrow. That should be the perfect time to tell them about our engagement."

"Not until I go back to the hospital tomorrow for another blood test."

"What are you talking about?"

"There was something unusual about my first blood test so they have to do another one to make sure it matches."

"Do you think you're immune to the virus?"

"I don't know. Did the doctor ask you about your blood test?"

"He said that everything was normal. Nothing was wrong. I'm pretty much in the clear. Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?"

"I think I'll be fine going by myself. Why do you ask?"

"Kai told me you were afraid of needles."

"Well, you are my fiancee. It's time you knew that I'm afraid of something."

"Yeah, pretty much. That's what keeps us together, though."

"When do you think is the best time to get married?"

"I'm not sure. When do you think is the best time?"

"I asked you first. I'd like to know when you want it to be."

"Should I really be the one to figure out everything? I'm only asking you because I'd like you to figure out the best romantic days. The most gorgeous day of the year."

"Well, I'm excluding Valentine's Day. That's definitely out of the question. I was thinking about sometime in September. It is the month when fall starts. It's the most beautiful time of the year."

"Alright. What date should it be?"

"I haven't decided yet. Don't worry. I'll figure it out. Besides, that's not the only thing we have to worry about. We have to make out wedding invitations, plan our engagement party, find our wedding rings and so many other things. It's all I can worry about."

"I guess I'll have to be the person you'll need support from, aren't I?"

"Well, yes."

"Can't my mother be involved in the supporting? After all, she always said that she couldn't wait to be a mother-in-law. She always told me that I should be with you."

"Well, you are. Would you like me to help you with dinner?"

"Yeah, that would be a great idea. Sometimes seeing out of one eye can be useless."

"Well, you're always useful to me."

I leaned myself on Jay, kissing him fully on the lips. At that moment, it was just about me and him. Nobody else. We sure can kiss each other in a wonderful way. So many ways to keep away from all the worries in life. One kiss makes it all better.

* * *

 **BROTHER AND SISTER FLUFF. I JUST THINK ITS SO CUTE. ITS CUTE WHEN YOU HAVE YOUNGER CHILDREN. PLUS, THE LOVE BETWEEN NYA AND JAY IN THIS CHAPTER IS JUST SO CUTE. I AM SUCH A JAYA FAN.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	71. The Day Passes By

CHAPTER 70

THE DAY PASSES BY

 **NYA`S POV:**

I spent the morning making my way back over to the hospital to take another blood test. Unfortunately, Kai told Jay to come with me so I wouldn't end up passing out from the needle being placed in my arm. I sighed, seeing as though I still needed someone to hold my hand in order for a doctor to remove blood out of me. Jay was actually a lot better than Kai. The only reason Kai couldn't come was because there was some problems with the water barrels and he was the only one that had any intelligence with the pipes. After the whole blood test thing was over with, Jay and I headed back to the house. On our way back, we spotted Bria walking out of her house with a watering can in her hand and a cane in her other hand. Looks like she was coming outside to water her flowers again.

I waved to her. "Hello, Bria."

"Nya, dear," Bria said, "It's good to see you. I heard that you left for a couple of days. When did you get back?"

"Yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't come over to say hello."

"That's quite alright." She walked over to Jay. "Well, hello there, Jay. I hope you took care of Nya."

"Don't worry. I took good care of her," Jay said.

"What happened to your arm, dear?" Bria asked me, "Did something scratch you?"

"Oh, no," I said, "I had to go in for another blood test."

"I thought you went in for one when you first came here."

"I did, but they had to give me another one. They said My last one was unusual."

"Unusual? Well, hopefully the next one will turn out normal. Would you both like to come inside? I just made a fresh batch of cookies."

"We'd love to, but we need to get home. Jay`s parents are coming into the community today. We're both planning to make them feel at home. Plus, we have a surprise to tell them."

"Wait, don't tell me. You and Jay are getting married."

"Yes, we are."

"How did you know that?" Jay asked.

"She's followed the Great Sensei all her life," I said, "She knows everything around her."

"I sure do," Bria said, "Well, there was something I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if I could marry you two. After the both of you signed you marriage license, I was wondering if I could be the one to have you both married. I am a licensed temple mistress. Even to this day. I used to work part time in a temple. I was the first woman to ever preach in front of so many wonderful people."

"Well, there's a lot to think about. We're hoping to schedule the wedding somewhere in September. We would love for you to marry us, though."

"Well, at least you thought of step number one. Find the right temple leader. I really do appreciate this."

"Of course. Anytime. We don't mean to be in a hurry or anything, but we really need to start heading home. You won't believe what we brought home with us yesterday."

"Don't tell me. You brought two young children with you from their home."

"Yes, we did.

"I want you to do me a favor, Nya. Bring those children over here to my house anytime. I'd love to meet them. I'm the kind of old lady that loves to spoil children."

"You're not old, Bria."

"You say that, but in the end, you'll understand."

"Well, we had a nice chat. We really better get back home to check on Nathan and Emma."

"You may not be their real parents, but I have a feeling that you'll be great parents to your own children one day. For now, this is the start of it all."

"Thank you, Bria. Well, it was nice talking to you. We hope to see you again soon."

"Alright. Take care of yourselves, you hear?"

"We will."

"Bye," Jay said.

I sighed. "At least she's doing okay. Do you want her to marry us?"

"It's your choice, honey. I really don't mind what kind of temple master or mistress marries us. As long as we know them. Well, I don't really know Bria all that well, but you seem to."

"Well, you're always the one that stays in the shadows sometimes."

"I don't stay in the shadows. You better blame Cole for staying there this whole time."

"Oh, for goodness sakes, Jay. You're the same way."

Suddenly, a golf cart rode up next to us. A police officer sat in the driver's seat. "Excuse me, sir, are you Mr. Jay Walker?"

"Yes, that's me," Jay said, "Why do you ask?"

"Your parents just arrived in the community. They would like to see you after they're checked out of the hospital. Do you mind coming with me?"

"Sure thing."

"Can I come along?" I asked.

"I think it would be best to wait until tonight," Jay told me, "I'll let you be a surprise for them. Just be there at around six, okay?"

"Alright. Tell them I said hi."

"Uh, wait until tonight, okay."

I giggled. "Okay. I'll head on home."

"See you tonight."

Jay rode off in the golf cart. I made my way home to see nobody in the living room. That's odd. Where were the kids? I looked around to see Emma at the kitchen table, drawing on a piece of paper with ten different colored crayons at the same time. I walked inside, placing my hand on her shoulder.

She gasped. "Who's there?"

I giggled. "It's only me. Did I scare you?"

"You did."

"I'm sorry. What are you drawing?"

"Different colored circles. I get bored a lot." She looked at my arm. "How did you get that bandage on your arm. I didn't see it there yesterday."

"Oh, I had to go and get another blood test done. It's no big deal. Where's everybody else?"

"They're all upstairs. I came down here because I was feeling too crowded around everyone else."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"Where's your brother?"

"He's upstairs. He's in bed because he said that he had a headache. He got a washcloth and placed it on his forehead. I'm starting to worry about him. He hasn't been feeling good since last night."

"I'm sure he'll be okay by dinnertime. If he's not, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay, I will."

"Oh, before I forget, I need to talk to you about something. I'm going somewhere tonight. I'm not going anywhere outside the community, though. I'm going to a friend's house with Jay. I'll only be gone a few hours."

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I know I should've kept this a surprise, but Jay and I are getting married."

Emma gasped in happiness. "Oh, my gosh. I knew it. I knew you two were meant to be. You're finally going to be with your prince charming. Kai will finally be a brother-in-law." She gasped. "Kai`s going to be a brother-in-law. That means in the near future he's going to be an uncle after you and Jay have so many kids."

"Wow, this makes you place a smile on your face. I guess I did a good job on making you happy."

"You sure did. Can I come to the wedding? Will you make me the flower girl? Oh, can I catch the bouquet of roses? I've always wanted to do that. I heard that when someone catches the bouquet of roses, they're next in line to be married."

"Emma, you're too young to get married. Besides, I don't even think you know any boys."

"You're right. I don't, but it's nice to think about it. Have you made any plans for the wedding?"

"Not yet. I'll start thinking about it tomorrow. By the way, I need to go ahead and start running you a bath. Go upstairs and get your pajamas."

Emma nodded, running upstairs into the room she shares with her brother. I went into the bathroom to get the water running for Emma. That's when I suddenly heard her scream. I ran out of the bathroom, hoping nothing bad has happened.

* * *

 **WHOA. THINGS WENT FROM GOOD TO BAD AGAIN. I HOPE NATHAN IS GOING TO BE OKAY. WILL HE, THOUGH? I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	72. Good Moments Turn Bad

CHAPTER 71

GOOD MOMENTS TURN BAD

 **NYA`S POV:**

I was sitting inside the hospital waiting room with Emma next to me. We were just waiting to hear what was going on with Nathan. Earlier that evening, I was only running Emma a bath when she suddenly screamed and was crying by the time I went inside the bedroom. I saw Nathan on the floor, vomiting and having a hard time breathing. I had no choice but to rush him off to the hospital. He was still breathing by the time the doctors took him in, but he was still having a hard time. It was almost five in the evening and nothing has been said about what happened. I sighed, looking out the window. Tonight was suppose to be a big night for me. Jay and I were suppose to tell hos parents about our engagement. Looks like that may not happen if all doesn't go as planned.

Emma was leaning her head on my side, nibbling on a cookie the nurse had given her. She had been crying the last couple of hours and it was the only way to calm her down. I looked to see that somebody was walking inside. Kai had just made his way inside, looking at Emma and I. Emma dropped her cookie on the floor and gasped. This was her first time actually seeing Kai. He's been working day and night the last two days trying to fix the water pipes. They were finally running smoothly again and he was actually able to get a break. That was until Emma squealed like a fan girl and came running up to him, grabbing his leg. I had to laugh. It was kind of funny to see what I just saw.

Kai gave me a look. "Do you mind removing this little girl off my leg?"

"Oh, come on, Kai," I said, "She a big fan of yours. Besides, she's been crying for the last two hours about her brother having to be in here."

"What happened?"

"I really don't know. I was just running Emma a bath and she suddenly screamed. I saw her brother on the floor vomiting and having a hard time breathing. I had no choice but to bring him here."

"I thought Jay`s parents were coming here today."

"They are. They just got here this morning. I had went back home to take care of a few things."

"Don't you have to meet up with Jay so you can tell his parents about your engagement?"

"Well, until the doctor tells me what's going on, I won't be able to go. If it were to happen, I need you to tell Jay that I won't be able to make it tonight. I know it's hard to understand, but this is a child's life we're talking about."

"I can understand. I'm pretty sure Jay will, too. If he doesn't, I'll punch him into the next village."

"Well, while you give the news to Jay, do you mind taking Emma home for me and keeping an eye on her? I don't want her spending the night here."

"Nya, are you crazy? I'm not good with kids."

"Yes, you are. If you're good with taking care of me, then taking care of a six year old girl won't be any different."

Emma sneezed. "I won't be too much trouble."

"Are you sure she's not sick?" Kai asked.

"Emma, let me feel your forehead," I said.

"I'm not sick," Emma said.

"I'm not taking any risk." I felt both her cheeks and her forehead. Looks as though she was a little bit warm. "You feel a little warm. Kai, there should be a thermometer in the first aid kit at home. Do you mind using it for her? I'll be home as soon as I hear something."

"Sure thing," Kai said.

"Will I get really sick like Nathan?" Emma asked.

I sighed. "I hope not, sweetie."

"Nya," I heard a voice behind me. I looked to see that it was the doctor. She motioned me to come over there. "I need to talk to you for a minute."

"I'll be right there," I said, turning to Kai, "Wait out here with Emma for a moment. I'll be right back." Kai nodded as I left to speak with the doctor. "Is this about Nathan?"

"It is. We took a blood test and he's not infected with the virus. He's not on oxygen anymore. He started breathing normally after an hour. We saw that he has some sort of illness that we just can't detect."

"You don't know what it is?"

"We won't know until tomorrow. The best thing that you can do is head home and get a full night of sleep. We'll keep an eye on him. All you can do is come back in the morning and we should have an answer for you."

"I can't leave without knowing what it is."

"He's not the only child that has it. Four other children came in this morning with the same thing. The best thing you can do is wait. We were able to finally get some results, but we're not one hundred percent sure about it until tomorrow. I think the best thing you can do is wait."

I sighed. "Alright. I'll be back tomorrow with Emma."

"I don't think bringing her is a good idea. This could cause her to become scared and he's not in the best condition right now. She'll have to just accept that fact, okay."

"Alright. Anything else I need to know."

"We finally got your results back from your blood test. It seems as though you are immune to the virus. Both the test had the same result. It's no secret. Just don't tell anyone else about it, okay?"

"Alright, I won't. Is that it?"

"That's all. My advice is to not stay here for the night. That's it. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you."

I walked back inside the waiting room. Kai was sitting down while Emma sat in his lap. He looked up at me. "What did she say?"

"They don't know what he has yet. He's not the only child in the same condition, though. She told me the best thing to do was to come back in the morning. That's all we can do."

"Will I be able to see him?" Emma asked.

I sighed. "I'll talk to you about that in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll take her home," Kai said.

"Please keep an eye on her," I said.

"I will. What do you think I'm gonna do? Make sure she's not taken care of."

"Make sure to run her another bath. Just drain out the water I ran in the bathtub and run another one. Don't forget to put her to bed around eight. Oh, and make sure she brushes her teeth. She tried to pretend that she was doing so last night."

"I wasn't pretending," Emma said.

"Don't lie to me, Emma," I said, "I saw you."

"Where are you going?" Kai asked.

"I'm going to meet up with Jay and his parents. This may be the only chance we'll be able to tell them about our engagement. Jay and I should be back around nine."

"Will I see you in the morning?" Emma asked.

"I'll be back when the sun rises, Emma," I said, "That's a promise I can keep."

"Nya, when do you plan on having the wedding, anyway?" Kai asked.

"Jay and I are thinking about having the wedding in September."

"September? I don't know, Nya. What if all this is still going on?"

"Kai, the best thing we can do is live on to our normal, daily lives. Besides, it's the middle of July. Jay and I will have plenty of time to get ready."

"Will you think about making me the flower girl?" Emma asked.

"I'll keep that on my mind, Emma," I said, "Jay and I will think of a good date in September tomorrow. Right now, I'm pretty sure Jay has already told his parents that we have a surprise for them."

"They know," Jay said, walking through the door, "I haven't told them what the surprise is, though."

"Jay, what are you doing here?" I asked, "I thought you were helping your parents get settled in."

"I was, but they insisted on making dinner for all four of us. They told me to come and pick you up. I told them that you were on your way, but then Misako told me that Nathan was in the hospital. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Nathan's just really sick. They don't know what he has and the results won't come in until tomorrow. I have to come back here for thing in the morning."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I think I'll be fine coming here on my own. Come on. We don't want to keep your parents waiting."

Placing his arm around me, Jay and I walked out of the hospital. I hope nothing bad is wrong with Nathan. It'll just cause more problems than there already are. I just hope he gets better.

* * *

 **LET'S JUST HOPE NATHAN ISN'T TOO SICK. I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT TOMORROW'S CHAPTER WILL BE ABOUT JAY AND NYA DISCUSSING WEDDING PLANS. THAT'S MY STOPPING POINT FOR THIS STORY. SORRY FOR THE SPOILER ALERT. NEXT WEEK, I'LL GO ON PART TWO OF MY MISTRESS STORY.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	73. Planning the Wedding

CHAPTER 72

PLANNING THE WEDDING

 **NYA`S POV:**

It was almost eight at night. Jay and I had just left his parents house. We had told them about our engagement after dinner. They were excited and squealed with joy, hugging, kissing, and fiddling their son's hair. Lots of hugging was given to me. They started talking about how they could help with the wedding by finding the right theme and all that. They practically wanted to be around all the time to help plan the wedding. We told them that we could handle most of the planning. All they had to do was stick with us and give us a little emotional support if necessary. Their smiles grew even bigger as they heard about helping out with support and making our love stronger than it already is. Now that it was all over, Jay and I were sitting in his truck, looking out at all the stars in the dark night sky.

My head was on Jay`s shoulder, thinking about not only the wedding, but also about the events that have come up. Finding Emma and Nathan in such a condition almost made me cry tears of fear. I usually never do that. Now Nathan was in the hospital and was making his sister scared. I just hope Kai was doing a good job keeping an eye on her. He's not the greatest babysitter in the whole world, but he's really good with children. I have a feeling that everything's going well. I just hope things turn out better in the near future. Not only was I tired of living this way, but so was everybody else. We were all ready to return to our normal, daily lives.

Jay placed his arm around my shoulder, kissing my forehead. "Well, I guess it's been one of those days, huh?"

"It sure has. I wish everything could just go back to normal," I said, "Instead, we're living in a world such as this. I miss our old life."

"I do, too. You know, all this has changed everyone. The way we think and the way we do things. It's given me the chance to finally decide the rest of my life. I can't live a life without you. I love you too much to let you go."

"I know. I'm the same way. When all this started, I stayed with a nice family and got to know them very well. I ended up growing fond of Nathan and Emma. We care about them as much as they care about us. I have a feeling we might become good parents one day. What do you think?"

"I think we'll be great parents one day. For now, we're planning the wedding of the year."

"I wouldn't call it that. It sounds like we're just having a simple, normal wedding. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just simple."

"Is that all you think about is a simple life? We live more than a simple life. Have you forgotten that I'm the master of lightning? I'm more than your simple average guy that you see everyday. I'm more than normality will ever think of me as."

"I think I see your point. Should we go to Borg tomorrow and ask for a marriage license?"

"We can, but what about seeing how Nathan is?"

"I'll check on him tomorrow morning. Besides, we can see Borg after lunch. That's not much of a problem."

"I don't see it as a problem. Before we can even fill it out, we need to figure out what date our wedding is going to be."

"You're right. We haven't even thought of that, yet. I just don't know. It feels as though the right date to do it is just staring at me."

"Well, I do have a calendar book."

"Let's take a look at it."

Jay took the book out of the storage compartment. "Here we go. Let's see. Where's the month of September?"

"I'm pretty sure it's in there."

"Here it is. Well, what day would you prefer?"

"I would prefer to do it on a Saturday. What are good dates to do it on a Saturday. Well, September 11th is on a pretty good Saturday. Plus, its the first day of fall."

"It's settled. We get married on the first day of fall. It's the day when the leaves will finally start falling and the crops will grow well."

"Okay, I'll just add it in here. Let me find that pen." Digging through the compartment, he found one. "Here we go. Okay, I'll just put it in here and we're good with that."

"What do you think the wedding invitations should look like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, every wedding invitation has to have some kind of design onto it. It has to stand out for people to know that you're inviting them in style. It has to have wonderful writing, creativity, and made with lots of love. It'll let people know that our marriage means more than just a fancy party with cake. I'm pretty sure that's all Cole's going to think about. I want people to know that our wedding is a symbol of our love. The strongest love you'll ever have.

Well, it'll take some time to think up that idea. Let's go back to the invitations. Okay, let's think of what kind of cake we want."

"Should we make it into Cole's least favorite cake?" I giggled.

"That would be funny."

"Okay, let's be serious about this, though. The flavor of the cake is important. You enjoy eating chocolate cake while I like cake with blue icing."

"Can we combine both? Chocolate cake with blue icing. That actually sounds really delicious."

"Well, I guess we have the flavor, but how big should it be?"

"I don't know. It has to be big enough for everyone, so I'd say about six layers."

"Six layers, it is. Okay, what's next? Oh, the flowers. We need to figure out what flowers we should have. What do you think?"

"I think the flowers should be your idea. I'm not good when it comes down to the things that your more prettier than those."

"Awwwww! You're sweet. Wait, why should it just be one type of flower? Why can't it be all kinds of flowers? My bouquet of flowers should be a multitude of different kinds. It's just that simple."

"So has that been taken care of?"

"Yes."

"Okay, what's next? We still need to figure out what would be good for dinner. What do you think would be a good meal?"

"Well, we do like to enjoy sushi. Shouldn't we have someone cater it, though?"

"Oh, I didn't think about that. Wait a second. Where in the would are we suppose to find a caterer? I don't think we can call up a catering company."

"Not in the middle of an apocalypse. Do you know of anyone around here that could cater it?"

"Nope. We'll figure that out later. Let's see. You and I need to pick out our wedding dress and tuxedo."

"I'm trying to figure out what kind I would like. Should I just pick out a plain white wedding dress or should I find something in blue."

"It's your choice. I'm definitely not going to tell you what to wear."

"As long as I don't find anything too revealing, I think I'll be fine."

"Same here."

"Okay, what's next? Should we really be thinking about our wedding showers?"

"I think that's for us to figure out on our own."

"Yeah, you're right. After all, it'll be your last night to act like the greatest friend you could ever be to your friends."

"The last night I'll get to act like a man. Show off being the man I once would be. The man I used to be in the past. I suppose you get my point."

"Yes, but it won't be your last time to be around the others. You should really start thinking about who should be your best man. I understand that Kai, Cole, Zane and Lloyd are your brothers, but only one can be your best man. Who are you gonna choose?"

"Seriously? Do we have to talk about this? It's a lot to think about. Besides, shouldn't you be thinking about who should be your maid of honor? I'm pretty sure you have a wonderful friend that's pretty much like a sister to you."

"I would if I had friends."

"You don't have friends? That is pretty lonely."

"I was actually thinking about my mother being my maid of honor when I got married. She's always been there for me when I was younger and I thought of her as my best friend. Now that she's gone, the only person I can ask is Misako."

"I figured you would ask Pixal."

"I already asked her. She wasn't interested. At least she decided to be a bridesmaid. Is that enough?"

"We can think about this once everything is situated. For now, I think the best thing we can do is go home and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is another busy day."

"It sure is. I think it's best to head home. I had a good time tonight."

"So did I."

Jay started up his truck, making our way back home. I sighed, seeing that as the days passed by, so would life. Like my mother once told me. Every minute, second and hour counts.

* * *

 **WELL, JAY AND NYA ARE PLANNING FOR THRIR WEDDING. THERE YOU HAVE IT. WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING THIS FOR THE WEEK. I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS STORY FOR A WHILE. DON'T WORRY, I'LL BE BACK. I'LL STILL CONTINUE WRITING ALL THE STORIES I CAN. I'M PUTTING A LIST OF MY UPCOMING STORIES ON MY PROFILE.**

 **WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME.**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW.**


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